“South Africa’s logistics infrastructure environment is inefficient and in a mess.” This is the opinion of Prof. Jan Havenga who was speaking at the launch of the Container User Forum (CUF) – a new industry-led platform created to strengthen coordination across the country’s container logistics system.
While recognising progress made over the last two years through the National Logistics Crisis Committee and growing momentum around public-private partnerships (PPP) and as Private sector Participation (PSP) to restore infrastructure, Havenga cautioned to say the country continues to lose ground in both global and regional logistics competitiveness and is not currently considered a logistics and trans-shipment hot spot – with direct consequences for trade growth, cargo volumes and our capacity for employment creation.
“At a moment when geopolitical tensions are reshaping global shipping routes, South Africa has again a unique opportunity to reposition itself as a competitive logistics gateway,” Havenga noted.
Drawing on an analysis of the fragmented and unstructured logistics infrastructure landscape across the country, and the wealth of opportunity that South Africa possesses, Havenga proposed a three-pronged plan based on proven models successfully implemented in more advanced logistics economies.
- Rebuilding and modernising logistics infrastructure.
- Establishing a coherent spatial plan for freight villages.
- Strengthening collaboration across the entire container logistics chain.
According to Brenda Magqawaka, Chief Executive of the CUF, this body has been established precisely to tackle his third point, namely, to strengthen coordination across the container logistics ecosystem across shared data, standards and measurable performance outcomes.
“By providing a neutral platform anchored by governance for collaboration between cargo owners, shipping lines, logistics service providers and public authorities, the Forum aims to rebuild a more predictable container supply chain. When coordination improves across the system, containers will move faster, costs decline and the logistics system can once again support South Africa’s broader economic growth,” said Magqawaka.
Also involved as Chairperson of the CUF Board is Juanita Maree, who says that South Africa’s logistics challenges are not only about ports and ships. They are about how the entire freight system connects and functions as one network.
“Freight villages that are strategically located, geographically planned and properly developed for South Africa’s specific conditions will provide architecture that enables rail, road and port operations to work together efficiently. When these multimodal operations are aligned, we create the conditions for predictable cargo flows, improved logistics performance and a system that can support long-term economic growth,” says Maree.
For more information on this new body, contact Brenda Magqawaka at Brenda.m@containeruserforum.org.
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