Alastair Taylor

Special Guest Blog Post written by Stela Jaqueta   In today’s fast-changing world, Africa’s role in global supply chains is at a tipping point. For too long, the continent has been viewed primarily as a source of raw materials rather than as a strategic partner in value creation. But what if we reimagined everything, from policies and technologies to mindsets and sustainability practices, through an Africa-centered lens? In this blog post, I explore five questions that challenge conventional supply chain thinking. From redefining Africa’s place at the global negotiation table, to elevating cultural intelligence from “soft skill” to strategic necessity, to designing climate-restorative logistics and embracing the digital revolution in a way that includes youth-led and informal businesses, each question is a call to rethink, redesign, and re-center. 1. What would a truly Africa-centered global supply chain look like? A truly Africa-centered global supply chain would shift from a model of extraction to one of empowerment and value creation. It would prioritize investment in local manufacturing, infrastructure, and knowledge transfer, ensuring that raw materials sourced from Africa are processed, packaged, and innovated on the continent. African-led businesses are seen as power players, with a voice and authority at the negotiation…

Did you catch all the episodes from Supply Chain Now this week? If not, get a quick summary and listen here! We added TWO additional episodes this week starting on Saturday, July 25th. We continued our Logistics with Purpose series, sponsored by Vector Global Logistics, and welcomed Kevin Carvajal with Salesian Missions. Supply Chain Now · “Logistics with Purpose: Kevin Carvajal with Salesian Missions”     On Sunday, we featured our recent webinar, “Stand Up & Sound Off: A Conversation About Race in Industry,” and welcomed panelists Dyci Sfregola and David Burton to Supply Chain Now.   Supply Chain Now · “Stand Up & Sound Off: A Conversation About Race in Industry”     We featured another great episode in This Week in Business History on Monday, where Scott looks back at some of the biggest historical events in business history for the week ahead. This week, he spoke about the past, present, and future of the cannabis industry.   Supply Chain Now · “This Week in Business History for July 27th: The Past, Present, & Future of the Cannabis Industry”     Then on Tuesday, we shared our live-stream with Jeff Cashman of GreyOrange with our podcast audience, as…