2018 has been an interesting year for local supply chains, perhaps most notably due to the impact of escalating costs, and the resultant adoption of advancing technologies. The volatile fuel prices in both crude oil and diesel have had an immense effect on the cost of doing business, and have therefore increased the need for more creative business models to remain profitable. One tactic being adopted is that of manufacturers shifting closer to their customer base, resulting in more diverse business locations and progressively flexible supply chains that allow companies to be more customer-centric to service client needs better and faster.

This transport month we celebrate ladies taking the wheel in our transport division

South Africa is said to have an astonishingly low rate of employed women. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) only 50% of women between the ages of 25 and 54 are employed. With a skills shortage and burgeoning demand for the transportation of goods, the transport industry is well suited to provide a solution for women whose innate attributes could make them well suited for driving trucks.

This month, we're celebrating Transport Month and commending our fantastic transport team for the exceptional work that they do. In September 2017, the Barloworld Logistics Manline Mega team took on their biggest challenge yet, transporting a 33-metre luxury house boat from Zimbabwe to Namibia. A fascinating journey and huge accomplishment that we're proud to announce has been nominated in the 2018 Logistics Achiever Awards for this ground breaking initiative. The awards ceremony is being held tonight, 11 October 2018.

According to the July/Aug 2018 ENaTIS statistics, there are more than 2.8 million trucks on South African roads, ranging from panel vans to heavy load vehicles, accounting for as much as 25% of all registered vehicles. There are more than 15 000 truck fleets operated in our country, and more often than not, our newspapers feature news of accidents, un-roadworthy vehicles and infrastructure damage due to ill-maintained vehicles. October is Transport month, with the Department of Transport emphasising the local industry, road safety and all things “truck”. As a substantial, and responsible, player within the Transport industry, we at Barloworld Logistics not only support this initiative during the month of October but strive to build a better industry for all through everything we do, in every aspect of our business, every day.

Recession proofing your business with smart supply chain decisions

Recently, South Africa entered a technical recession for the first time since 2009, with Statistics SA revising the growth forecast downwards to 2.6%. There is no doubt our economy is taking strain thanks to burgeoning fuel prices, exchange rate volatility and weakened business confidence, and while the public is still grappling to understand the impact of the news, arguably the first area to be impacted will be consumer spending. The tightening of belts will have a direct knock-on to industry thanks to a decreased demand for goods and services in most sectors. For companies, an economic downturn is by no means easy, however, re-evaluating supply chain strategy to improve efficiency and flexibility, and more so to capitalise on hidden opportunity, can go a long way in helping to weather the recessionary storm.