Exploring Africa’s Supply Chain Future
Connecting with industry leaders and visiting operations to learn about the challenges, the innovation, and the momentum behind the world’s next major growth story.
Why Travel 6k Miles To Study Supply Chains?
Per a 2025 Brookings Institute report, Africa is increasingly recognized as the next frontier for global economic growth. Its potential is vast, characterized by diverse natural resources, a burgeoning youth population, and untapped innovation. The question is no longer whether Africa will rise to meet the demands of a rapidly globalizing world, but how it will chart that rise by building on its inherent strengths. The continent holds tremendous potential to unlock prosperity—not just for Africa, but for the global economy. Yet the challenges are real: nearly 60% of Africans still live in poverty, and per-capita income has grown by only 1.1% annually over the past several decades.
At the same time, Africa is undergoing a major economic transformation, shifting from agriculture and extraction toward a services-driven future. That raises critical questions: How will logistics and supply chain infrastructure shape this next chapter? Where do the biggest opportunities lie for the global supply chain profession to support and learn? And what can advanced economies gain from the ingenuity and resilience of Africa’s supply chain leaders?
We’re heading there to find out.
In this 5 minute clip, Azuka and Nathan discuss the purpose of the upcoming African Supply Chain Safari to Nigeria and South Africa. Nathan explains that he’s driven by curiosity, a belief that experiencing different cultures is the best form of education, and a desire to see Africa’s supply chain ecosystem firsthand. Azuka sees the trip as a bridge: enabling U.S. companies to engage confidently in Africa, and helping African innovators scale into U.S. markets.
You can check out the full podcast on YouTube HERE & Spotify HERE
Due to the Nigeria leg of the trip being rescheduled, I was unable to meet with Gbenga Ojo while in Lagos, but when I learned he would be in DFW for the holidays we made a plan to do a ‘warehouse tour swap’ with me hosting him at a facility here in DFW, and he will host me for a tour of one of his facilities in Lagos in the future.
We toured a local facility, Deliverzen, in Coppell on Jan 2, owned by a friend and industry ambassador, Drew Horner. Sansing Kaping hosted us on the tour where we saw B2B and D2C fulfillment operations, their WMS, conveyors, and other technology on display.
We spent a day with Regina Naicker on a “walking podcast” while exploring Durban, South Africa 🇿🇦 We focused the discussion on a few areas:
- Growing up in Durban during Apartheid, voting in the very first democratic election in South Africa when she was 18, and going on to work on the newly elected Nelson Mandela’s first project after becoming President, while completing her first degree at university.
- The resilience of the people in South Africa
- Building the talent pipeline of future supply chain practitioners, with an emphasis on ensuring women have a seat at the table.
- The future of South Africa and Africa as a whole regarding infrastructure, energy, and the role that supply chain management plays.
Stay tuned for link to the full episode
A quick chat over a drink at Montecasino in Johannesburg, South Africa. Hariesh is a seasoned supply chain leader and advisor with deep experience across operations, strategy, and digital transformation. Known for his thoughtful perspectives on global supply chains and emerging technologies, he is the founder of Shipping and Freight Resource & Academy. Since 2008, Shipping and Freight Resource has informed, connected, and elevated professionals and organizations through trusted content, high-value visibility, and industry influence.
I caught up with Jenny Froome over coffee at the Mall of Africa in Johannesburg, SA. Jenny is a respected leader in the African supply chain community and the longtime driving force behind SAPICS, where she spent nearly 30 years helping grow the conference, the association, and its global relevance. In our chat, she shared insights and stories from hosting the SAPICS conference for decades, leading the organization through tremendous growth, and how events and associations continue to shape the future of the supply chain profession.
In Cape Town I met with Liesl De Wet, an expert supply chain professional and one of the driving forces behind the Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards (ASCEA). Now in its 5th year, ASCEA was created to celebrate and spotlight supply chain excellence across Africa, often in some of the most challenging operating environments in the world. Liesl shared several powerful examples that bring the mission to life:
– Life-saving drone deliveries in rural Eswatini, flying antiviral drugs and antivenom to remote clinics where delays could be fatal.
– A project that built an oxygen plant during COVID, ensuring zero patient deaths due to oxygen shortages.
– Blockchain-enabled supply chains moving food and essential goods through conflict zones.
Near the airport in Johannesburg I stopped by Emit for a chat and tour, hosted by Branch Manager, Tian Els. They operate as a logistics service provider with a broad portfolio of services including cross-border shipments to the BLNS territories Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, and Swaziland (now Eswatini). Being near the airport they handle a significant amount of first mile and last mile moves for the global logistics companies and air freight forwarders. Aside from the operations, it was the unique customer and employee focused culture that made the biggest impression.
I sat down with Mark Rylance, Chief Operating Officer, Logistics sub-Saharan Africa at DP World, who shares his extensive experience in the logistics industry and discusses the operations of DP World across Africa. He highlights the differences in logistics between South Africa and the rest of the continent, the company’s expansion into market access and healthcare logistics, and the significant efficiency gains achieved in port operations. Mark expresses optimism about the future of logistics in Africa, emphasizing the continent’s potential for growth and the strategic investments being made by DP World. Content coming soon!