Joe Couto

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…

Rolling right through mid-September with more great interviews, conversations, livestreams, and episodes!   For a bonus episode on Saturday, Jamin welcomed Jeff Lerner to the podcast on the new program, Logistics & Beyond, for a discussion about the power of relationships in professional growth.   Supply Chain Now · “Logistics & Beyond: The Power of Relationships in Professional Growth”   On Monday, Scott dug back into the archives for This Week in Business History, and discussed JC Penney, Karsten Solheim, & more.   Supply Chain Now · “This Week in Business History for September 14th: JC Penney, Karsten Solheim, & More”   On Tuesday, Scott and Greg welcomed Eric Rempel with Redwood Logistics and talked about Next-Generation Third Party Logistics.   Supply Chain Now · “Next Generation Third-Party Logistics: Eric Rempel with Redwood Logistics”   On Wednesday, Scott and Greg welcomed Patrick Kelly with The Produce Industry Podcast and Michael Chavez with Golden Star Citrus for a great podcast-crossover collaboration!   Supply Chain Now · “Pioneering Leaders in the Produce Industry: Patrick Kelly & Michael Chavez”   On Thursday, we published Greg’s TECHquila Sunrise, with special guest, Benjamin Gordon, with Cambridge Capital.   Supply Chain Now · “Scrappy Underdog to…