Wanona Satcher

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…

Today, podcasts rival streaming television programming in terms of the number and variety of offerings. Perhaps that’s because podcasts are the ideal vehicle for businesses to deliver thought leadership and expand brand visibility. Professionally produced and informative supply chain podcasts provide companies and industry experts a way to engage with targeted audiences and build credibility and trust with customers and business stakeholders. Podcasts Represent a Growing Trend in a Dynamic Media Landscape “Podcasting is no longer a niche medium,” according to Statista, which said nearly 70 million people in the United States listened to podcasts in 2023. The audience for podcasts is expected to continue to grow and is forecast to reach 110 million listeners by 2029. And there’s room for more supply chain-focused businesses to invest in supply chain podcasts to share their messaging and build brand authority. Three Reasons Businesses Invest in Supply Chain Podcasts “Podcasts are often viewed as a relatively easy way for anyone to tell a story. But actually getting an audience for that storytelling is more difficult, and podcast producers use several means to grow and connect with their audiences. Most of the top-ranked podcasts studied are available on four major listing sites –…