African economies have in recent years experienced a surge in business activity, thanks in part to the emergence of an increasingly prosperous middle class. This consumer boom has not only strained retail supply chains but has placed overwhelming demands on national utilities.  The World Bank states that more than 25 African countries face an energy crisis, yet the continent abounds with untapped renewable energy resources. Throughout the continent, electricity supply is constrained, and often erratic with damaging ramifications to local economies and crucial infrastructure such as hospitals, telecommunication networks and water supplies to name a few. These challenges within the energy sector are exacerbated by the absence of contemporary energy services and more often than not, poor infrastructure. The need, therefore, to seek out alternative energy solutions is now an imperative for the continent. 

(also published in Bizcommunity)

On 27 February 2019, Barloworld Group announced a strategic decision to merge their Automotive and Logistics Divisions, a move that will leverage the assets and capabilities of the two divisions. The new change brings about the opportunity to strengthen the Group's core capabilities while optimising their existing portfolio to ensure sustained value creation.

In our modern world, every aspect of life relies heavily on telecommunications and connectivity. From entertainment to transport and business, connectivity is the engine of society.  Despite local ICT adoption rates being slightly behind the curve when compared to global trends, the South African information and communications technology (ICT) industry has seen exponential growth leading it to eclipse agriculture as a contributor to economic production, delivering upwards of 2.7% to local GDP.

In the era of innovation and connectivity the idea of an economy built from autonomous industries attending to their own clients with their own suppliers is fast becoming outdated. More and more, savvy organisations understand that operating in isolation is no longer viable, and that by partnering across, or indeed within industries, higher efficiencies, cost reductions and improved customer service can be achieved. A good example of such collaboration is the symbiotic relationship  between two competing technology giants Samsung and Apple Inc, where the electronics manufacturer is a key supplier of IPhone micro chips and the like. Such symbiosis is a true case of how the seemingly direct competitors in fact can benefit from collaboration in order to function at their full potential.

2019 promises, to once again be a year of opportunity and turbulence in equal measure. On the local front, South Africa will continue to emerge from the last decade of turmoil, with increasing hope for international investment, growth and stability. 2019 is also an election year, so our economy is likely to feel the impact of political shenanigans in the run-up to voting day. Internationally, economic changes continue unabated with the USA/China trade war and Brexit, to name a few, likely to create ripples throughout the global economy. Supply chains operate at the heart of most industry, and as such, are impacted by a plethora of trends. Here are a few we are keeping our eye on.