As disruption becomes part of the normal operating environment, Jaimé Manuel of Unitrans considers why resilient African supply chains will depend on clearer processes, stronger partnerships and solutions designed for local realities. 

For years, supply chains were judged largely by how efficiently they could move goods, reduce cost and maximise output. But in an operating environment shaped by persistent disruption, changing customer expectations and increasingly interconnected value chains, efficiency alone is no longer enough. 

That was one of the clearest reflections I took from SAPICS 2026. Its theme, “Legacy to Leadership: 60 Years of Connection, Collaboration & Transformation”, invited the industry to consider not only how far supply chains have come, but what leadership now requires of us. I believe it requires a shift away from static models and isolated decisions to adaptability and collective problem-solving. 

Jaimé Manuel Executive Growth at Unitrans

Disruption is now the norm for supply chains, which face infrastructure, regulatory, climate, and technological challenges. The task is not to design a system that never experiences disruption, but to build the capability to respond when conditions change. 

This shifts competitive advantage, as it now depends on whether an organisation can see change early, bring the right capabilities together and adjust its operating model without compromising safety, service or control. 

Stronger Supply Chains Require Clearer Roles 

A recurring idea at SAPICS was the need for organisations to become more deliberate about their core competencies. Delivering an end-to-end outcome does not require one organisation to perform every component independently. It requires the lead partner to integrate the right internal expertise and specialist capabilities, establish clear accountability and keep the customer’s operational outcome at the centre. 

It’s better to start by understanding where an organisation creates the most value, where specialist capability is required and how the right partners can be brought together around a defined customer need. 

This is particularly important in complex African supply chains. A logistics provider, customer, technology business, equipment manufacturer and local operating team may each understand a different part of the challenge and bring a different capability to solving it. None has the complete answer in isolation. The value lies in creating an effective interface between those capabilities, supported by shared accountability and a clear outcome. 

Collaboration requires greater visibility across the value chain and a willingness to share relevant information to support decisions, while protecting commercially-sensitive information. 

The real test of a partnership is whether it helps solve the customer’s actual problem. A challenge that initially appears to be about transport or technology may have its roots in an inefficient process, a safety constraint, limited connectivity or an operating practice that no longer serves the customer. Listening and defining the problem correctly must come first. 

Technology Cannot Repair a Broken Process 

Technology was understandably prominent in many of the conversations at SAPICS, but its value depends on whether the operation is ready to use it effectively. 

Before introducing another platform/application, businesses must understand and simplify the underlying process. Who performs each task? What information do they require? Where are delays/errors introduced? How will the user’s role change? What governance is needed when the system identifies an exception? Without those foundations, digitisation adds complexity instead of reducing it. 

The same applies to mobile devices, which must be integrated into operations to deliver value. Human judgement remains essential. Technology can improve visibility, identify patterns and automate routine decisions, but people must interpret, manage exceptions, and ensure technology is useful. 

Practical Improvement Starts at the Frontline 

A Unitrans agricultural operation provides a practical example. In remote sugarcane environments, manual field inspections and connectivity constraints made it difficult to capture and share information consistently. 

Unitrans worked with a specialist technology partner to digitise the existing inspection process through a custom mobile application. This meant that operational teams could record field conditions, identify hazards and make more informed decisions before vehicles entered an area.

The real value was in operational knowledge, not just the app. This approach improved decision speed and safety, reducing in-field rollovers.

The example shows why adoption matters. Technology creates value when it strengthens frontline expertise rather than replacing it. When employees see that a tool helps them work more safely and effectively, compliance becomes curiosity – and operational teams begin driving improvement themselves.

Continuous improvement is rarely one dramatic intervention. More often, it comes from questioning existing practices and using data to make targeted changes.

African Solutions Must Reflect African Conditions 

Common principles can be applied across a supply chain network, but implementation cannot be one-size-fits-all. African countries and operating environments differ in infrastructure, regulation, language, culture, connectivity, road conditions, skills and customer requirements. A solution that works in one market may not in another. 

This requires closer collaboration with all stakeholders and a realistic view of what operations can support now and in the future. The next era of supply chain leadership will be defined by how well leaders connect people, processes, information and expertise around real operational needs. 

While efficiency will remain fundamental, the supply chains best equipped to grow will be those that can adapt without losing control, share information without losing accountability, and collaborate without losing sight of their own strengths. 

In practical terms, leaders must clarify the outcome, map the process, identify where specialist expertise is needed and assign someone to be accountable for each decision. Technology should then be introduced against that operating model, with frontline users involved early enough to shape how it works in practice.

The greatest opportunity lies in building collective capability to solve problems, together.

Not every supplier plays the same role.

Some provide products when they’re needed, invoices are paid and the relationship goes no further than that. It works perfectly well because that’s all either side expects.

Then there are suppliers who gradually become something more.

They begin to understand how the business operates, when demand typically increases and which products are most critical to keep moving. Over time, they’re no longer simply fulfilling orders. They’re helping the business operate more effectively.

That’s often the difference between a supplier and a strategic supplier.

It Starts Long Before Something Goes Wrong

It’s easy to judge a supplier when everything is running smoothly.

Orders arrive on time, stock levels remain healthy and customers receive what they’ve been promised.

The real test comes when something unexpected happens.

A shipment is delayed. Demand suddenly increases. Production falls behind schedule.

Strategic suppliers don’t make those challenges disappear, but they work with their customers to find a way through them. They communicate early, discuss alternatives and look for practical solutions instead of simply reporting that a deadline has been missed.

Those moments build confidence in a relationship that no contract can guarantee.

Understanding the Business Matters

The strongest supplier relationships become more valuable over time because knowledge builds with experience.

A supplier who has worked with the same customer for several years begins to recognise seasonal demand, understand production schedules and appreciate which deliveries are genuinely time-sensitive.

That familiarity often leads to better decisions on both sides.

Instead of treating every order the same, suppliers can respond in ways that reflect how the business actually operates.

Sometimes the Best Answer is “Not Yet”

People often assume a good supplier is the one who always says yes.

In reality, that isn’t always the case.

Sometimes the most valuable supplier is the one willing to have an honest conversation before a problem becomes a bigger one. They might explain that a deadline is unrealistic, suggest a different approach or raise concerns that haven’t yet been considered.

Those conversations aren’t always easy, but they’re usually far more helpful than a promise that can’t be kept.

Most businesses would rather adjust their plans early than find out at the last minute that an order won’t arrive when expected.

Trust Is Built in the Everyday Moments

Strategic supplier relationships don’t usually develop because of one major event.

They grow over time.

A supplier who keeps customers informed when plans change. A quick phone call before a small issue turns into a bigger one. Deliveries arriving when they were promised, week after week. Small moments like these rarely attract much attention on their own, but they slowly build confidence between two businesses.

Over time, that confidence becomes one of the most valuable parts of the relationship.

The Suppliers Businesses Remember

Every supplier plays an important role, but some leave a lasting impression for reasons that have very little to do with price.

They’re the suppliers who are honest when something isn’t going to plan. The ones who communicate early instead of waiting until there’s a problem. The ones who understand how the business operates because they’ve taken the time to build a genuine working relationship.

Price will always matter, and procurement teams will always look for value.

But ask someone to name the best supplier they’ve worked with, and chances are they won’t begin by talking about cost.

They’ll probably remember the supplier who made their job easier when it mattered most.

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