Daryl Lu

The top supply chain trends in Africa right now include ecommerce, sustainability, technology and skills development. The e-commerce boom that was fuelled by Covid-19 is showing no signs of slowing. It is predicted that in 2025, e-commerce transactions in South Africa will grow 150% to R225 billion. While African consumers are clearly sold on the speed and convenience of online shopping, they are also increasingly recognising that there is an environmental price to be paid, and they are demanding greener e-commerce supply chains. African businesses also recognise that to compete on the global stage, and for Africa to rise as the supply chain powerhouse that many predict it can be, they must align with global environmental standards. Integrating sustainability into supply chain and logistics is therefore a growing imperative in Africa. African companies are investing in technologies like electric vehicles, renewable energy sources and advanced data analytics to measure, manage and minimise their environmental impact. They are optimising transportation routes to have fewer vehicles on the road and to cut CO2 emissions. They are adopting circular supply chain models, to get more use out of products and move beyond the traditional “take-make-waste” approach. Takealot, which is South Africa’s largest online…

Supply Chain Now Founder and CEO Scott Luton announced that its “Veteran Voices” podcast will re-launch this year in partnership with two non-profit organizations: The Guam Human Rights Initiative and the Military Women’s Collective. “We’re proud to promote the efforts of these two organizations, as we are all highly aligned in our dedicated mission to serve our veteran community. Both organizations are veteran-led, start-up nonprofits that are doing big things out in the market. They are the perfect partners for ‘Veteran Voices,’” said Luton. As noted on its website, the Guam Human Rights Initiative “is a collaborative research nonprofit seeking to advance human rights on Guam and throughout the Pacific through meaningful and impactful research efforts.” Since its founding in 2021, the Military Women’s Collective is determined “to make an impact in the military nonprofit space by focusing on our women veteran population.” Its mission focuses on empowering homeless and food-insecure women veterans as well as providing coaching, mentorship and support for women veterans who are transitioning out of the military. Mary Kate Soliva, host of “Veteran Voices,” said that she has a special place in her heart for both organizations and the good works they do. She is excited…