Press Releases
Conference Highlights Opportunities for the Air Cargo Industry on the Continent
The air cargo industry has a key role to play in helping drive economic growth in Africa. There are also tremendous opportunities that it can leverage, through the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). These opportunities were explored at the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport’s Air Cargo Conference, held at the Air Cargo Africa expo and conference at Emperors Palace, Gauteng, on 23 February 2023.
The Programme included:
- Increasing connectivity and the movement of air cargo across the region by Dr Joachim Vermooten – Owner: Vermooten and Associates
- What is needed for AfCFA to work and what is the impact of AfCFTA on the supply chain? by Devlyn Naidoo – Executive: SARS and Other Government Agencies (OGAs): the SA Association of Freight Forwarders
- Potential and possibilities on the Continent: Airlink Cargo’s perspective by Hardus Kuschke – Executive Manager, Cargo: Airlink Cargo
- Data Driven Decisions Enabled by Digital Transformation by Munya Husvu, CEO: ISB Optimus
- The role technology will be playing within the African cargo space in the next decade vs. the African unemployment challenge by Gerhard van Zyl – AsimoTech
- Video telematics and the use of Artificial Intelligence by Divan Delport – Sales Director – MiX Telematics East Africa
- Trade opportunities in Africa for South African business by Thina Nodada – Director: Waymaker Trade Solutions
- Changes to Dangerous Goods Regulations for Air Cargo by Elliot Molemi – General Manager, Compliance: Professional Aviation Services
Key takeaways from the event
Increasing connectivity and the movement of air cargo across the region by Dr Joachim Vermooten – Owner: Vermooten and Associates
“AfCTA creates a new basis on which African air transport liberalisation can be based, with the objective of creating an internal integrated air transport market, instead of a small step “piecemeal” approach based on arrangements between individual States.”
“The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA) provides a new opportunity to re-start African air transport liberalisation with the objective to actually achieve a truly internal single African air transport market. This is in contrast to the current Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), which only seeks to implement the Yamoussoukro Declaration of 1988 (35 years ago) still based on Bi-lateral Air Service Agreements (BASAs) between States, of which the implementation is inadequate.”
Potential and possibilities on the Continent: Airlink Cargo’s perspective by Hardus Kuschke – Executive Manager, Cargo: Airlink Cargo
“There is endless potential for growth in Africa – due to the increase in demand. Aviation traffic is predicted to more than double by 2037. The boom in the movement of cargo will accelerate development. Cargo yields are declining at the moment, but are still higher than pre-Covid levels.”
“There is endless potential for growth in Africa:
- There are freighter operations to main hubs, but there is a need for connectivity to smaller hubs.
- E-commerce is underdeveloped.
- Africa’s annual economic growth remains strong.
- The need for bonded transport continues to grow.”
“There are however some limitations:
- Frustrations: Support functions from an airline’s perspective, like reliable port and rail infrastructure for jet fuel.
- Challenges: Inconsistent authorities, border control processes, corruption and competitiveness. Some IT systems are incapable of integration.
- Security: Security standards are poor in some countries.”
What is needed for AfCFA to work and what is the impact of AfCFTA on the supply chain? by Devlyn Naidoo – Executive: SARS and Other Government Agencies (OGAs): the SA Association of Freight Forwarders
“What is required for AfCFTA to work and how do we make it work?
- Overcoming supply-side constraints to boost African trade.
- Closing the infrastructure deficit to boost AfCFTA’s development impact.
- Eliminating non-tariff barriers to increase cross-border trade.
- Establish inter-governmental international trade department support.”
“Equally important to the elimination of tariff barriers (Free Trade Area) is the elimination of non-tariff barriers and the creation of an intact continental logistics network to support the growth of intra-Africa trade.”
“Supply chains are dependent on an efficient logistics network. This includes, inter alia, efficient port infrastructure, road and rail networks, a secure and safe trading environment and efficient customs and other government agency compliance processes and procedures.”
“Skills development and capacity building for a young supply chain are key.”
Data Driven Decisions Enabled by Digital Transformation by Munya Husvu, CEO: ISB Optimus
“We see a world where every employee will work side by side with digital workers. When human and digital workers work side by side, amazing things happen! It creates a world of endless possibilities!”
“To be a digital enterprise, you need digitized processes – and a digital workforce that complements your human workforce. ‘Complement’ is an important word, because despite concerns about AI, automation, and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) eliminating jobs, we believe very strongly that digital workers should complement the strengths of people.”
“Digital workers transcend RPA: Their core attributes are bots that are intelligent, using AI to learn and improve over time; they use analytics to ensure that their work is effective; and finally, they are capable of discovering processes that can benefit from their help.
People’s core attributes feature creativity, connecting dots, building strong relationships, and having empathy and compassion for others. For people, this manifests in driving strong customer engagement, identifying opportunities, whether that be a new sales opportunity or business model. We also strive at problem solving -arguably one of our best skills.”
The role technology will be playing within the African cargo space in the next decade vs. the African unemployment challenge by Gerhard van Zyl – AsimoTech
“On the one hand, we face the African unemployment challenge. The unemployment rate in Africa (estimated) 2022 was estimated at 8%, which means 41,9 million are without work.
On the other hand, we perceive the opportunities available through technology-led productivity. Since we compete with the rest of the world, we need to keep abreast of global developments in areas such as autonomous vehicles (drones), Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality, object and image recognition and other breakthroughs.
Thus, our logistics industry needs to maintain a balance between people skills and automation in the workplace. This calls for a commitment to a spectrum of skills development that fuses traditional methods with innovation and even quantum-leaps.”
“By lowering standards education, we are not doing our youth any favours.”
Video telematics and the use of Artificial Intelligence by Divan Delport – Sales Director – MiX Telematics East Africa
“Artificial Intelligence (AI) in video telematics has transformed the way we manage and monitor vehicle fleets by improving safety, enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and providing real-time insights. AI-powered systems can monitor driver behaviour, optimise routes, reduce idle time, and improve productivity. This technology provides real-time insights into driver behaviour and vehicle performance, enabling fleet managers to respond quickly to issues as they arise. As the technology advances, we can expect even more benefits and applications in the future.”
Trade opportunities in Africa for South African business by Thina Nodada – Director: Waymaker Trade Solutions
“South Africa could position itself as a brains-trust country for skills development across the rest of the continent as momentum picks up for the realisation of trade under the AfCFTA.”
“What we’ve seen is that there is a strong emphasis on skills and knowledge development from African countries to partner with South Africa in achieving these aims. “If South Africa got its act together, a lot of goodwill could be invested through the transference of goods, services, skills and knowledge needed to achieve AfCFTA’s aim of boosting trade across the Continent by at least 52.3%. It would take a bit of a mind-shift though, as South Africa still sees itself in different terms in relation to the rest of the Continent.”
“We must stop thinking of ourselves as the gateway to the Continent. We aren’t the gateway to Africa, never have been, and never will be. What we can be is an enabler of trade improvement.”
Changes to Dangerous Goods Regulations for Air Cargo by Elliot Molemi – General Manager, Compliance: Professional Aviation Services
“The new dangerous goods regulations have undergone a rigorous Carcom (Civil Aviation Regulations Committee) process and are awaiting the Transport’s Minister signature. The express parcel industry has over the years seen the introduction of drop-off facilities, enabling customers to drop off parcels, with little inconvenience. Examples of these facilities include Aramex’s Drop Box, Courier Guy’s PUDO and DSV’s Locker, which are stationed at shopping complexes and filling stations.
These products of convenience have come with their own problems. Customers are likely to include hazardous items like lithium batteries, corrosives and flammable liquids – out of ignorance. The SACAA has come up with a set of regulations that seeks to minimise such incidents. The regulations when summarised will require a company offering the parcel drop-off facilities to educate their users on the dangerous goods. This will be done by:
- Requiring that the user declares if their package contains dangerous goods or not.
- Providing information about dangerous goods to the user through the website or other electronic forms.
- Displaying dangerous goods prohibition messages and other signages at drop off facilities.
These regulations extend to other courier products at shopping malls like Postnet and Pepkor’s Paxi – if their parcels end up in an aircraft.”
The CILTSA Air Cargo Conference was sponsored by Air Cargo Africa, AsimoTech, ISB Optimus, Messe Munchen, MiX Telematics and Professional Risk.
About CILTSA
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport supports the professionals who plan the systems, who bring in the raw materials, who manage the movement of people and goods, who ensure safety standards, maintain mobility, and keep the economy working.
We are the leading professional body for everyone who works in supply chain, logistics and transport. We are a global family, representing professionals at all levels across all sectors, with a mission to give individuals and organisations access to the tools, the knowledge and the connections vital to success in the logistics and transport industry.
Founded in 1919 with a mission to improve industry practices and nurture talent, our Institute supports over 35,000 members in 35 countries. Through our educational suite, our strong community and our commitment to high standards, we help professionals at all levels to develop their careers and access better jobs. Visit www.ciltsa.org.za and https://ciltinternational.org/ for more information
Issued by:
Contact Persons: Catherine Larkin – CVLC Communication
Telephone: 087 822 2858 / 083 300 0331
E-mail: [email protected]
Postal Address: P O Box 44945, Linden, 2104, South Africa
We placed two identical orders one minute apart through the SPAR2U app and Uber Eats app to compare the purchase experiences. Using the same SPAR store (SUPERSPAR Sunninghill), basket and delivery location, we compared everything from the final price to live updates, fulfilment and delivery times to see how each platform performed.
App Testing: The Order and Price
To keep the test as fair as possible, we made sure that none of the ordered items were on special – in order to keep the comparison in price as close as possible.
The basket contained a mix of everyday household and baking essentials:
| Items | SPAR2U | Uber Eats | Substitutes |
| Brown Bread | R16.59 | R23.00 | |
| Butter 500g | R99.99 | Butter 250g: R144.40 | |
| Peppermint Crisp | R61.99 | R68.00 | |
| Heavy Cream | R59.99 | R68.99 | |
| Tennis Biscuits x2 | R59.98 | R69.00 | |
| Caramel | R46.99 | Condensed milk: R49.80 | |
| Dish Washing Liquid 750ml | R39.99 | Dish washing liquid refill 750ml: R37.00 | |
| Dog Treats | R29.99 | R34.50 | |
| Total: | R415.51 | R494.69 | |
| Service Fee | R15.90 | ||
| Driver Tip | R10.00 | R10.00 | |
| Delivery Fee | R37.00 | R25.00 | |
| Total Purchase Order: | R462.51 | 545.59 |
Final Price: Uber Eats vs SPAR2U
The SPAR2U order came to R462.51 and the Uber Eats order cost R545.59. This left us with a difference of R83.08, making the Uber Eats order 18% more expensive than the SPAR2U order.
Real-Time Updates and Communication
After placing both orders, the apps provided live updates throughout the shopping and delivery process; from when the shopping started through to the final delivery time and driver tracking.
SPAR2U sent shopping updates and updated invoices showing the items being picked, packed, and eventually dispatched via email. On the other hand, Uber Eats sent push notifications to keep us updated on the progress of the order.
Both apps kept us in the loop throughout the shopping experience.
Delivery Times
With both orders placed, we began tracking the progress of the deliveries.
The following times were recorded:
| Stage | SPAR2U | Uber Eats |
| Order time | 09:30 | 09:31 |
| Time the shopper started | 10:06 | 09:33 |
| Time the shop was completed | 10:13 | 09:45 |
| Time order was dispatched | 10:30 | 09:54 |
| Delivery time | 10:50 | 10:07 |
Both orders were placed practically at the same time, just one minute apart, but Uber Eats started shopping way faster – their shopper started picking items just two minutes after the 09:31 order went through. SPAR2U took 36 minutes just to get started at 10:06.
Interestingly, SPAR2U was actually faster once they were in the aisles, taking only seven minutes to finish shopping compared to Uber’s 12 minutes.
The real gap opened up during dispatch and delivery, though. Uber Eats had the items out the door nine minutes after picking (09:54) and delivered them in 13 minutes flat at 10:07. SPAR2U sat waiting 17 minutes for dispatch, followed by a 20-minute drive.
All in all, Uber Eats crushed it: total time was 36 minutes end-to-end, while SPAR2U took 80 minutes. Uber beat SPAR2U to the doorstep by 44 minutes.
Final Time Comparison: SPAR2U vs Uber Eats
Overall, Uber Eats completed the order-to-door process in 55% less time than SPAR2U.
Order Fulfilment
When both deliveries arrived, we unpacked everything and compared the orders with our shopping list. The SPAR2U order was completed to a T, with all eight items delivered as ordered.
The Uber Eats order was a little different. We specifically ordered the same 500g butter from both apps, yet the Uber Eats order arrived with a 250g pack from a different brand instead and was more expensive. The same happened with the 750ml dishwashing liquid, which was suitably substituted with a 750ml refill bag.
Finally, the caramel, which wasn’t available on the Uber Eats app, was replaced with condensed milk.
SPAR2U Order
Uber Eats Order
Usually, the Uber Eats shopper is meant to contact you before making a substitution or replacement, but for this order they did not do so. So we only saw the replacements when the order arrived.
Our Final Take
Now that the groceries have been unpacked, here’s what we took away.
1. Shopping Time
The first big difference was how long it took for each order to get moving. The Uber Eats shopper started picking the order just two minutes after it was placed while the SPAR2U shopper only started 36 minutes later.
Interestingly, once shopping began, SPAR2U had the edge. The shopper completed the SPAR2U order in 7 minutes, compared with 12 minutes for Uber Eats.
2. Order Completion Time
The biggest difference came down to the overall delivery time. The Uber Eats order arrived 36 minutes after it was placed, while the SPAR2U order took 80 minutes to reach the door, but was still delivered within the allocated time 10–11 a.m. time slot.
The Uber Eats order arrived 44 minutes before the SPAR2U order.
3. Speed Isn’t Everything
Getting your groceries to the door quickly is great, but it’s not the only thing that matters. Price, product availability, substitutions, and updates from the app and shopper all play a massive role in the overall experience.
The Verdict Is In: Which Ordering Experience is Better?
After testing both ordering experiences, the choice of which delivery app to use for your next order ultimately comes down to your personal preference.
If speed is your priority, Uber Eats takes the cake for a quick and convenient shopping and delivery experience.
Or, if you are a bit more savvy about specials, price, promotions and combo deals, SPAR2U is your go-to platform.
What the test did show us is that the ordering experience is about much more than getting groceries to your door. From finding products and spotting promotions to watching an order move from confirmed to shopping to dispatched and finally delivered, every step contributes to the experience.
Logistics
Third CILT Regional Conference to Explore Transport, Trade and Mobility Priorities at Automechanika Johannesburg
The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) will bring leaders from Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe together at Automechanika Johannesburg for its Regional Conference 2026, taking place at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on 28 and 29 October 2026.
Held under the theme ‘Driving Innovation, Bridging Borders for an African Future’, the conference will examine how transport, logistics and automotive ecosystems can support connected economies across the continent. The programme places collaboration at the centre of discussions on trade corridors, harmonised systems, safety, skills and the changing mobility landscape.
Elvin Harris: President – CILT South Africa
Elvin Harris, President of CILT South Africa, says the conference offers a meeting point for sectors whose success increasingly depends on coordinated action. “Transport and logistics connect every part of the economy. This gathering will create space for discussion on the infrastructure, standards, technology and people needed to move goods and opportunities efficiently across the region.”
Connecting Corridors and Enabling Trade
A central conference focus will be the future of Africa’s strategic road and rail corridors. Delegates will explore ways to reduce border delays and non-tariff barriers, strengthen one-stop border posts, and improve links between ports, dry ports and inland terminals.
Discussions will also consider investment approaches for corridor infrastructure, including public-private partnerships and blended finance, alongside the relationship between transport networks, the African Continental Free Trade Area and regional industrialisation.
Dr. Tapiwa Mujakachi: President – CILT Zimbabwe
Dr Tapiwa Mujakachi, President of CILT Zimbabwe, states that efficient cross-border systems are essential to prosperity. “Regional trade depends on reliable routes, predictable processes and a commitment to solving operational challenges. The conference will bring attention to the work required to make corridors serve businesses, communities and national development priorities.”
The agenda will further address harmonisation across borders, including vehicle standards, roadworthiness, weights and dimensions, customs documentation, permits and professional qualifications. Delegates will consider the development of common regulatory frameworks for new vehicle technologies, as well as the importance of aligning systems across regional economic communities.
Innovation, Safety and the Workforce of the Future
The conference will also examine the safety and security of people, cargo and freight corridors. Key themes include reducing road fatalities, promoting driver wellbeing on long-haul routes, countering cargo crime, strengthening fleet compliance, and using technology for tracking, monitoring and incident response. Cooperation among operators, regulators and law-enforcement agencies will feature as a foundation for safer regional supply chains.
Conversations will cover electric and new-energy vehicles, supporting infrastructure, local manufacturing opportunities, digital freight and last-mile platforms, smart logistics, data and artificial intelligence. Attention will also be given to policy support, funding and incubation for start-ups and small enterprises, together with the role of special economic zones in automotive and component innovation.
Dr. Tapiwa Mujakachi: President – CILT Zimbabwe
Prisca Mayumbelo, President of CILT Namibia, says the programme recognises regional opportunities. “Africa’s mobility future will be shaped by innovation that is relevant to local conditions and supported by capable institutions. Sharing experience across countries can help turn promising ideas into practical improvements for industry and society.”
Education, training and skills development will complete the programme’s core themes. Sessions will consider new-energy vehicle and digital logistics careers, technical and vocational pathways, industry-academia partnerships, work-integrated learning and professional development. The agenda will also highlight approaches to attracting young people and women into transport, logistics and automotive careers, while addressing funding for scarce-skills training.
Formal conference sessions will be followed each day by opportunities for delegates to visit the Automechanika expo floor and engage with exhibitors. CILT expects the event to encourage durable regional relationships and help shape solutions that support an African future built on connected African systems.
More information can be found at: https://www.ciltsa.events/cilt-conference-at-automechanika-johannesburg/
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