ACCELERATING TRADE IN AFRICA THROUGH SUPPLY CHAIN INTEGRATION

director at Lafarge Africa Plc. He shared his vision of a borderless Africa, which would be a continent with free movement of capital, goods, services and people. “Such freedom of movement wouldn’t be limited to economically wealthy countries alone, but would be evenly distributed across Africa,” he stated.

Ande said that measures which would help companies adapt to the constant shift in supply chain since the advent of the pandemic included digitalisation, local sourcing, supplier relationship management, inventory decentralisation and sustainable procurement. Upskilling and knowledge transfer, as well as the diversification of the business’s supplier base, were also critical for organisations striving to adapt and remain agile, in order to survive and thrive in an unpredictable business environment, he stressed.

PROCUREMENT 2.0

“Procurement’s Big Reset: Innovation and Localisation in Supply Chain” was the title of the compelling keynote address by Nigerian-based Azuka Okeke, CEO of the Africa Resource Centre for Excellence in Supply Chain Management. “In Africa, for procurement to better contribute to business effectiveness, it needs to innovate,” she said.

Okeke contended that smart regulations, localisation and e-procurement could help Africa leapfrog procurement practices. “Digitisation’s made it easier than ever before for procurement professionals to navigate the congested business-to-business [B2B] marketplace with a greater sense of trust. Businesses in Africa would benefit from consumer-like experiences in procurement,” she added.

THE 4IR

“Over the past few years, many initiatives across the globe have successfully consumerised B2B e-commerce and e-procurement,” said Okeke. She cited Dooka as Africa’s first enterprise marketplace and said that platforms like this had the potential to transform indirect procurement on the continent. “They enable access to a broad pool of potential vendors operating under a wide range of business models and their value to buyers extends to customisation, dynamic pricing and indirect spend management, as well as controlling important factors even for sophisticated procurement functions. free procurement teams from time-consuming, often repetitive transactional work that fails to take full advantage of their more advanced capabilities.”

A Profound Catalyst For African Economic Growth

The second day of the conference kicked off with an absorbing keynote presentation by Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of Africa Business Group SA. He addressed the issue of Africans producing what they do not eat and eating what they do not produce, outlining how intraAfrican trade could be a catalyst for accelerated African economic growth and development.

The solutions he offered to ASCA delegates included the formalisation of enterprises, value addition, industrialisation and the diversification of markets and tax revenues, as well as infrastructure investment. “We need to focus on formalising small and mediumsized enterprises, adding value to raw materials found in African countries, utilising technology and modern practices and the intensification of labour,” said Sudarkasa. “We need to explore other markets, both off and on the continent. We need policies to support the growth of different industries to help diversify tax revenues. Government needs to be able to support enabling investment in services and infrastructure,” he stressed.

Big Players Partnering Up

This year’s ASCA event partners were Absa, Dooka, Tradeshift, Global Trade Solutions, the Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport, the Cameroon Association of Supply Chain, Logistics and Procurement Experts, the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management and the Fédération Africaine des Associations de Logisticiens.

The conference was highly rated by delegates. “This was an awesome event with excellent speakers. It’s one to schedule in your calendar,” said Lee-Ann Bartlett, management reporting specialist at Mon’e Manez Consulting.

Isaac Akainyah, procurement officer at the Volta River Authority Takoradi Thermal Power Station in Ghana, commended the excellent programme, which he said would empower Africa in diverse ways.

“I found it not only inspiring, but also very insightful. African leaders need to forge a way forward to building sustainable value chains and value networks for this beloved continent,” said Ntsane Lesenyeho, procurement manager at Standard Lesotho Bank.

Get Connected

SAPICS’s mission is to elevate, educate and empower the community of supply chain professionals across Africa.

Since its foundation in 1966, SAPICS has become the leading provider of knowledge in supply chain management, production and operations in Southern Africa. It builds operations management excellence in individuals and enterprises through superior education and training, internationally recognised certifications, comprehensive resources and a country-wide community of accomplished industry professionals. This community is ever expanding and now includes a multitude of associates in other African countries, as well as around the globe. SAPICS is proud to represent the ASCM as its exclusive premier channel partner in subSaharan Africa.

The annual SAPICS Conference is the leading event in Africa for supply chain professionals. The 2023 SAPICS Conference will take place from 11-14 June 2023 at the Century City Conference Centre, Cape Town.

• For further information, tel: 011 023 6701, e-mail: info@sapics.org.za or visit: www.sapics.org

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