Tag: SupplyChain

The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 is signed but not yet in force. However, the Constitutional Court is yet to rule on a challenge by the Western Cape Government, the City of Cape Town and amaBhungane. They argue that Parliament failed to facilitate reasonable public participation on material amendments, as required by section 59(1)(a) of the Constitution. That judgment is still pending.

Cyber risk is no longer a peripheral IT issue in African supply chains. Instead, it is becoming a core operational threat. According to the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), 70% of organisations report experiencing fraud or economic crime. Cyber-enabled fraud ranks among the fastest-growing categories globally, according to the ACCA Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey.

Most mining losses do not come from commodity prices. Instead, they come from operational friction that compounds across every shift. Mining companies can tell you exactly what they spend on diesel, explosives or labour. They can quantify the cost of downtime, track commodity price fluctuations by the hour and model production scenarios years into the future.

Across Africa’s food and feed processing sectors, sustainability is increasingly moving to the centre of operational decision-making. Importantly, this shift is not being driven by environmental commitments alone. Instead, many businesses are driving it through more immediate priorities. These priorities include operational efficiency, profitability, resilience and long-term competitiveness.

Supply chains across the continent face mounting pressure. Geopolitical shifts and economic volatility drive this pressure. Many logistics operators have turned to technology for answers. This shift supports building a competitive logistics ecosystem. This focus also reinforces building a competitive logistics across regional networks.

There’s a disconnect in many businesses right now. IT teams face pressure to deliver refresh cycles, upgrades and infrastructure rollouts on schedule. At the same time, CFOs must control costs and protect cash flow. On paper, both groups are doing exactly what they should do. However, the numbers they work with no longer reflect reality. Most IT budgets today rely on assumptions that no longer hold.

This year has been marked by significant geopolitical instability. As the conflict in the Middle East continues, South African importers face pressure from three sides. Fuel costs are rising. Supply chains are disrupted. In addition, the Rand, already one of the world’s most volatile emerging market currencies, now carries a war premium on every international transaction.

In e-commerce, a delayed delivery can mean a lost customer. More than 20% of shoppers say they will not buy from the same store again after a late delivery. In addition, 17% actively discourage others from shopping there. These trends highlight a growing concern about delivery issues killing e-commerce.

As the global energy community gathers under the theme “Stronger Together” at this year’s Mining Indaba, the conversation about collaboration has never been more relevant. Supply chain volatility shapes the current environment. Rising operational costs add pressure. In addition, companies face increasing demands to improve productivity. As a result, energy businesses must rethink how they operate.