China lockdowns are not causing shipping chaos, say liner CEOs

China lockdowns are not causing shipping chaos, say liner CEOs Maersk and Matson don’t see severe China lockdown fallout yet It was predicted that China lockdowns would cause container shipping havoc. Six weeks into Shanghai lockdowns, it still hasn’t happened. Two liner CEOs — Maersk’s Soren Skou and Matson’s Matt Cox — explained why. “The […]

Forget basic income grants, fix roads and dysfunctional municipalities instead

Forget basic income grants, fix roads and dysfunctional municipalities instead Without fixing dysfunctional municipalities, dangerous roads full of potholes and reducing reliance on Eskom, South Africa can forget about meaningful economic growth, says former finance minister Tito Mboweni. Speaking at the PSG annual conference in Sun City on Wednesday, Mboweni said even though SA’s economy […]

A Look at the Supply Chain Crisis in Namibia

A Look at the Supply Chain Crisis in Namibia Just like most other countries around the world, Namibia felt the effects of the pandemic on their logistics and shipping industries. The closure of many ports in the region caused many of the container ships to be rerouted to the Port of Walvis Bay, which gave […]

Africa Faces Tough Times due to Deglobalization of Trade

Africa Faces Tough Times due to Deglobalization of Trade The global economic crisis triggered by the pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine has further intensified the risk of declining trade integration between countries. This process is referred to as the deglobalization of trade. With Africa importing and exporting a lot of merchandise, this process […]

Fuel levy lowered by R1.50/litre until end of May

Fuel levy lowered by R1.50/litre until end of May The general fuel levy will be cut by R1.50 per litre from Wednesday next week to 31 May 2022, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana announced on Thursday.This will reduce the levy for petrol from R3.85 per litre to R2.35 per litre. The levy on diesel will be […]

4 Key Air Cargo Trends to Watch in 2022

4 Key Air Cargo Trends to Watch in 2022 Following the Covid-19 outbreak, we have seen air cargo enjoy a substantial uptick in activity. Despite the collapse in passenger travel globally, many airlines had to shift their operation strategies to remain functional. This involved increasing their ability to offer air cargo services to support global […]

3 Reasons Why Peak Season Planning Should Be a Year-Round Activity

3 Reasons Why Peak Season Planning Should Be a Year-Round Activity Did you know that, according to SupplyChain247, 75% of supply chain leaders have faced issues planning and distributing goods since the pandemic began? They believe these issues faced will impact how they operate in the near future, including how they manage peak season planning. […]

Africa feeling the brunt of supply chain disruptions amid Shanghai lockdown, Ukraine war

Africa feeling the brunt of supply chain disruptions amid Shanghai lockdown, Ukraine war The unexpected recent Covid-19-related lockdown in Shanghai, China, coupled with the war in Ukraine and lasting Covid-19 impacts in various other regions of the world, is exacerbating what is an already constrained and disrupted global supply chain, says pump manufacturer Grundfos Africa. […]

From bread prices to petrol: How a war in Ukraine could hit SA pockets

From bread prices to petrol: How a war in Ukraine could hit SA pockets The conflict in Ukraine might be geographically far removed from South Africa, but its ripple effect might soon be felt by local consumers. If the Russian invasion of Ukraine – described by some as the darkest hour for Europe since World […]

Oil could hit $130 a barrel as war in Ukraine rages on

Oil could hit $130 a barrel as war in Ukraine rages on A global energy crisis, which could see prices surge at the fuel pumps, looms as the threat of growing military conflict in Ukraine rises after Russian troops and tanks crossed its borders yesterday. Rystad Energy CEO, Jarand Rystad, warned of a looming “global […]

Protect your Business from Supply Chain Disruptions in 2022

Protect your Business from Supply Chain Disruptions in 2022 Supply chain disruptions can come in many forms, such as the global pandemic, fire, political upheaval like looting, or even infrastructure issues such as load shedding. These disruptors interrupt your supply chain operations and require detours that will cost you money, time, and headspace.  According to […]

Spotlight On: Supply Chains in 2022

Spotlight On: Supply Chains in 2022 The 2021 NextGen Solutions report on supply chains was recently released, and we want to take the opportunity to highlight some of the results that will give us a great idea of how supply chains will look in 2022.  To gather data for the report, a study was conducted […]

It all boils down to 4IR, says RFA CEO

It all boils down to 4IR, says RFA CEO A philosophical take on the pandemic and what it means for the logistics industry underpins Road Freight Association CEO Gavin Kelly’s New Year’s message. In an address titled “Agility and resilience the key to success in 2022”, Kelly turned to a Greek thinker of antiquity for […]

Industry welcomes Aarto victory

Industry welcomes Aarto victory The Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences Act (Aarto) was both ‘unconstitutional and invalid’ the Pretoria High Court ruled on Thursday. It ruled that both the Aarto Act and the Aarto Amendment Act were unconstitutional and ordered the first and third respondents, the minister of transport and the Road Traffic Infringement […]

Automated Warehouses: Robot Logistics and their Key Role in Automated Warehousing

Automated Warehouses: Robot Logistics and their Key Role in Automated Warehousing The key element in any logistics business is the warehouse. So much so, that in 2018, American companies spent $1,5 trillion (R22,5 trillion) on logistic expenses. If we look at the food and beverage industry, for example, these warehouses are typically mixed case warehouses, […]

Spotlight On: Logistics Trends to Watch in 2022

Spotlight On: Logistics Trends to Watch in 2022 A new year brings with it new challenges and opportunities! After a difficult 2021, we hope that this year will be different! While we are still facing extraordinary demand in the logistics industry, the industry is starting to show signs of recovery, which we hope we can […]

E-toll decision to be announced in February budget – Mbalula

E-toll decision to be announced in February budget – Mbalula In a State of Transport Entities briefing on November 26, Transport Minister Fikile Mbalula confirmed the likelihood of a decision on e-tolls being announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana when he delivers the Budget speech in February next year. He mentioned that discussions regarding the […]

Understanding the economics of containerised freight during Covid-19.

Understanding the Economics of Containerised Freight During Covid-19 Approximately 90% of international trade is conveyed by containerised sea freight, and we have indeed seen a paradigm shift in container freight rates from pre-pandemic to current. The Covid-19 pandemic is an unprecedented event that has brought and continues to bring with it, an array of challenges, […]

Spotlight On: Retailers Going Digital-First this Holiday Season

Spotlight On: Retailers Going Digital-First this Holiday Season We’re taking a closer look at why retailers in South Africa, and globally, are taking a digital-first approach this holiday season.  This time last year, we were in a strict lockdown due to the pandemic. For many, this meant that online shopping was the way to go […]

It’s Time to Decarbonize Shipping

It’s Time to Decarbonize Shipping As the world’s GDP keeps growing, so does shipping’s carbon footprint. Now is the time to decarbonize shipping if we want to save our planet!  While the shipping industry transports 90% of the world’s trade, it is also responsible for contributing nearly 3% of global emissions. This is just more […]