Speakers at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa’s ESG Conference held on 23 June 2026 have called on the logistics, transport and supply chain sectors to move beyond ESG compliance and make leadership, skills development and community impact measurable across the value chain. 

Keynote Sets the Tone 

Delivering the keynote address, Dr Andile Sangqu, Chairperson of Transnet SOC Limited, said ESG could no longer be treated as a reporting exercise. He explained that the sector’s response had to be rooted in honesty, leadership and accountability, with particular attention paid to communities that live with the outcomes of logistics decisions. 

“A supply chain that takes value from a community without reinvesting in it is putting its own future at risk,” he said. “We cannot build a strong logistics network on top of struggling communities.” 

Dr Sangqu urged delegates to see skills as a sovereign asset and build capability at every level of the supply chain, from the boardroom to the loading bay. He noted that South Africa has much of the required knowledge in its universities, technical colleges, industry bodies and development finance institutions, as well as experienced logistics professionals. 

“The skills gap in our sector is central. If we do not close it before 2030, we will end up with excellent strategies and no real capacity to deliver them,” he stressed. 

CILTSA President Elvin Harris commented: “Dr Sangqu reminded us that ESG is a leadership responsibility. The quality of conversation and calibre of people in the room shows how seriously South Africa’s logistics community is taking that responsibility.” 

Panel Discussions Provide Rich Insights 

The Funding Panel, facilitated by DP World’s Lauren Rota, explored the tension between green finance availability and the realities facing logistics operators, particularly SMEs navigating thin margins and complex reporting requirements. Panellists included Bernard Vilakazi from Absa; Sashen Singh from Nedbank Limited; Neo Molomo from the Industrial Development Corporation; Shaheed Alli from the Development Bank of Southern Africa and Jonathan McDonald from the South African Freight and Logistics Association. 

The panel agreed that green financing must be integrated into mainstream financial products, and that development finance institutions must signal growth potential by backing early-stage transitions. 

The Talent Panel, moderated by Liesl de Wet from the Road Freight Association’s Green Transport Working Group, made the case that ESG capability is a value to be embedded across organisational culture, rather than a qualification held by a few specialists. Input came from Associate Professor Rose Luke from the University of Johannesburg; Chantal Kading from People Shop; Maphefo Anno-Frempong, CEO of the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA); Aimee Girdwood of Stories Evolved and Sandile Khoza from the Ethekwini Maritime Cluster. 

Maphefo Anno-Frempong highlighted the need for industry to collaborate directly with TVETs aligned to local economic activity, while Girdwood said visible leadership support is the starting point for meaningful ESG integration. 

Commitment in Action 

Michelle van den Berg from Takealot Fulfilment Solutions detailed the company’s fleet electrification efforts, advising anyone considering a similar transition to “start small, move on data and do not treat the transition as plug-and-play.” 

Fundiswa Mahlanyana from Isuzu Motors South Africa said Africa’s transition pathway must be phased and grounded in local realities. “We need to start with internal efficiencies, deploy technology that fits routes, and invest when the system is ready,” she said. 

The conference, held at the IMM Graduate School, also featured a presentation on efficiency and sustainability by Renko Bergh from CtrlFleet. It was sponsored by Isuzu Motors South Africa, Ctrack Africa, the IMM Graduate School, CtrlFleet and Chery. 

Dr Sandile Sangqu, Chairperson of Transnet SOC Limited              

Elvin Harris, President of Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa

Bernard Vilakazi, Absa      

Lauren Rota, DP World 

Shaheed Ali, Development Bank of Southern Africa 

Ronald Muringai, IMM Graduate School 

Sandile Khoza, Ethekwini Maritime Cluster 

Sashen Singh, Nedbank Limited 

Liesl De Wet, Unitrans 

Maphefo Anno-Frempong, CEO of the Transport Education and Training Authority (TETA)

Neo Molomo, Industrial Development Corporation

Renko Bergh, CtrlFleet

Chantal Kading, People Shop

Fundiswa Mahlanyana, Isuzu Motors South Africa

Jonathan McDonald, South African Freight and Logistics Association

Rose Luke, University of Johannesburg

Aimee Girdwood, Stories Evolved

Michelle van den Berg, Takealot Fulfilment Solutions

Most supply chains are built around one simple objective: getting products from one place to another as efficiently as possible. Cold chain logistics adds another layer of complexity. It’s not enough for goods to arrive on time—they also need to arrive at exactly the right temperature.

For businesses transporting fresh produce, pharmaceuticals, dairy products, frozen foods and other temperature-sensitive goods, even a small change in temperature can have serious consequences. Product quality may be affected, regulatory requirements may no longer be met and entire shipments can be rejected before they ever reach the customer.

That’s why cold chain logistics has become less about reacting to problems and more about preventing them in the first place.

Small Temperature Changes Can Have Big Consequences

Unlike many other types of freight, temperature-sensitive products often have very little room for error. A refrigeration unit that stops working, a trailer door left open for too long or an unexpected delay at a distribution centre can all affect the condition of the goods inside.

The financial impact goes well beyond replacing spoiled stock. Delayed deliveries, insurance claims, customer complaints and damage to long-standing business relationships can all follow when products fail to arrive in the expected condition.

In cold chain logistics, every degree matters because every degree can influence the value of the shipment.

Visibility Changes the Conversation

Not long ago, many businesses only discovered temperature issues once a delivery had reached its destination. By then, there was often little that could be done.

Today, connected sensors and real-time monitoring give logistics teams a live view of what’s happening while goods are still moving. If temperatures begin to drift outside acceptable limits, teams can investigate, contact the driver or adjust the journey before a small issue becomes a rejected load.

The greatest value isn’t collecting more information. It’s having enough visibility to act while the shipment is still recoverable.

The Journey Doesn’t End When the Truck Leaves

Cold chain management doesn’t stop once products are loaded onto a vehicle.

Traffic congestion, vehicle breakdowns, border delays, loading times and unexpected route changes can all affect delivery schedules. The longer products remain in transit, the greater the pressure on refrigeration systems and temperature controls to perform consistently.

That’s why transport planning has become just as important as temperature monitoring. Choosing the right route, planning realistic delivery schedules and reducing unnecessary delays all help protect the integrity of temperature-sensitive goods.

It’s About More Than Saving the Shipment

When a cold chain shipment fails, replacing the product is often only the beginning. Businesses also have to manage disappointed customers, investigate what went wrong and, in some industries, demonstrate that strict temperature standards were maintained throughout the journey.

For suppliers serving supermarkets, hospitals, pharmacies or food manufacturers, consistency is everything. Customers expect products to arrive in the same condition every time, regardless of the distance travelled or the challenges along the route. Maintaining that consistency helps build trust, and in many cases, it’s that trust that keeps long-term business relationships intact.

Every Shipment Leaves Behind Valuable Information

Temperature readings are no longer collected simply to prove that products stayed within the required range. They also provide a clearer picture of how the supply chain is performing from one delivery to the next.

Over time, that information can reveal recurring delays on certain routes, identify locations where temperature fluctuations occur more frequently or highlight opportunities to improve transport planning. Those small insights help businesses reduce risk before it affects the next shipment.

No two cold chain deliveries are exactly the same, but each one leaves behind information that can help make the next journey more reliable. In an industry where even a small change in temperature can have significant consequences, those lessons quickly become one of the most valuable parts of the supply chain.

A truck running a few hours behind schedule doesn’t usually make headlines.

On its own, it might seem like a minor delay. But modern supply chains are built around timing, and when one delivery falls behind, the effects can quickly spread far beyond the vehicle itself.

A supplier may need to adjust production, a warehouse could reshuffle its receiving schedule, transport planners might reroute deliveries and customers may find themselves waiting longer than expected. What begins as a single delay often becomes a series of small decisions across the supply chain, each one helping the business get back on track.

Every Delivery Fits Into a Bigger Plan

By the time a delivery vehicle leaves a supplier, a lot has already happened.

Production has been completed, warehouse space has been allocated, transport has been booked and customers have been given expected delivery dates. None of those decisions happen in isolation. They’re connected, and each one depends on the previous step going according to plan.

When a delivery arrives late, that carefully planned sequence starts to shift. Warehouse teams may need to rearrange unloading schedules, transport providers adjust routes and operations managers rethink the rest of the day’s workload.

The delay doesn’t stop when the truck arrives. It simply moves somewhere else.

Timing Matters on the Production Line

Manufacturing is one of the clearest examples of why reliable deliveries matter.

Companies such as Volkswagen Group South Africa and Toyota South Africa Motors depend on thousands of parts arriving throughout the day to support production. While manufacturers build flexibility into their operations wherever possible, production still relies on components being available when they’re needed.

If a shipment arrives later than expected, teams don’t simply stop working. They look for ways to keep production moving, whether that’s changing the order of work, using available stock or adjusting schedules until the missing components arrive.

Behind every delay is a team working to prevent it from becoming a much bigger problem.

Warehouses Keep Everything Moving

Warehouses often become the place where those adjustments happen.

A late delivery can mean several trucks arriving together instead of throughout the day. Receiving teams may need to reorganise unloading bays, move labour between tasks or change the order in which shipments are processed to keep goods moving.

The faster those decisions are made, the less likely the disruption is to affect the next stage of the supply chain.

That’s one of the reasons businesses have invested so heavily in real-time visibility. Knowing about a delay before a truck reaches the warehouse gives operations teams valuable time to adapt rather than react.

Customers Only See the Last Part of the Journey

Most customers never see the planning that happens behind the scenes.

They don’t see the warehouse changing its schedule or the transport planner finding another solution. What they experience is the final outcome: whether the product arrives when they expected it to.

That’s why communication has become such an important part of modern logistics. If businesses can keep customers informed while solving problems in the background, they’re far more likely to maintain trust, even when things don’t go exactly as planned.

A reliable supply chain isn’t one where every delivery is perfect. It’s one where people, processes and technology work together to keep disruption from spreading any further than it has to.