By Annisa Essack
03:08:2021

The recent unrest has harmed South Africa’s supply chain. The disruptions brought about a loss of trust, reputational damage, decreased investor confidence, and companies choosing to avoid using South Africa’s ports, resulting in the loss of jobs and exacerbated the already slow economic growth.

If that wasn’t enough, a cyberattack on Transnet brought strategic ports in South Africa to a halt, resulting in a virtual standstill for 12 days.

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders has played an active role in tackling the many challenges that have been wrought upon the industry. SAAFF collaborated with several stakeholders to restore normalcy to the supply chain.

Devlyn Govender, Executive for SARS and Other Governmental Agencies at SAAFF, spoke to Radio Islam International, discussed the challenges that arose, the solutions found, and the lesson learnt.

SAAFF was instrumental in formulating a supply chain working group that constitutes public and private associations that secured the major routes. This saw the wheels of the supply chain turning again and helped restore confidence to the transporters and the ports more fluid

To ensure a targeted approach, the group had to conduct extensive data analysis to hone in on the issues and track and monitor the progress. The development of a master plan ensures that contingency plans are put in place where there are none.  This will be developed into a strategic, longer-term logistics master plan.

Their success was, unfortunately, marred by the cyberattack on Transnet. Again, SAAFF, under the leadership of Dr Juanita Maree, the Chairperson, took up the challenge, creating a manual process at the ports to ensure the resumption of the flow of goods.

This led to a detailed standard operating procedure being developed, which will provide clear protocols to be clearly communicated to all the role players in the extended supply chain. The apex body for business interests in South Africa – BUSA (Business Unity South Africa) and Transnet Port Terminals, Transnet National Ports Authority, and SARS will sign off the SOP.

SAAFF has also initiated discussions with various stakeholders to ensure that linkages are in place to bring about quick and effective communication and build adequate decision-making capacity. The ongoing lobbying with influencers and government leaders will bring about much-needed action with a clear understanding of the impact of international and regional supply chains on South Africa’s fragile economy. The Association’s lobbying efforts with other industry associations resulted in more police and SANDF presence at critical hot spots on critical corridors.

The disruptions provided valuable lessons which now need to be incorporated into actions going forward.

The importance of good leadership, timeous communication, contingency plans, rapid responses and collaboration were highlighted as essential aspects.

As rebuilding begins and stability slowly returns, SAAFF called on stakeholders to work collectively to ensure that significant disruptions do not recur. It further emphasised that sustainability and predictability were needed to support regional and International trade effectively.

With a century of experience and history, the South African Associations of Freight Forwarders has committed to playing our role in South Africa’s economic growth.

Listen to the interview here.