The prestigious annual Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards culminated in a gala event in Johannesburg at which the final winners were announced. Supply chain professionals from across the continent got together to recognise the outstanding achievements of organisations and individuals working in the field in Africa.

Effective supply chains are the lifeblood of the global economy, connecting producers and consumers around the world. Supply chain management also has the power to improve lives, reduce environmental impact and ensure brighter futures for individuals, organisations and communities. The annual Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards, which are now in their third year, aim to advance and elevate the supply chain profession throughout Africa,  through collaboration and knowledge sharing, and to drive world-class supply chain management and optimised supply chains across the continent. They also celebrate supply chain professionalism, according to the organisers, who state that more than 80 outstanding entries were received this year. “As we found in 2022 and 2023, there is so much to be celebrated and showcased with the work being done on the continent, often in challenging operating conditions,” they said.

The Transport Management category was won by DHL South Africa. The judges commended their commitment to a cleaner, greener future by investing more than 7.3 million euros in a new fleet of Euro 5 Trucks in South Africa, to reduce their carbon footprint. This award was sponsored by the Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF).

Elogium’s drive to improve operability through innovation secured the organisation top honours in the Manufacturing & Production Management category. Elogium specialises in the 3D printing and the localisation of spare parts. A 3D printed super polymer impeller solution saved their client significant expenditure on asset replacement.

Nucleus Mining Logistics won the Procurement & Supply Management category for their sustainable procurement achievements. A project for Alphamin Bisie Mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo saw the implementation of the procurement consolidation module that addressed the challenges of excessive import duties and massive paperwork.

DSV’s inventory management innovations netted the organisation first place in the Inventory, Warehousing & Distribution Management category at the Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards. An automated inventory management system, powered by self-flying drones, addressed DSV’s challenges head on.

The Demand Planning & Management category was won by BCE Foodservice Equipment. The disruptions of the Covid-19 pandemic significantly strained supplier capacities, led to raw material shortages and escalated costs while making customer demand highly unpredictable. BCE responded by aligning its procurement strategies with the “new normal,” aiming not only to maintain but enhance service levels amidst heightened competition.

The Technology Information Systems Award this year was presented to Luvelo Solutions for their Luvelo Enterprise Suite, a scalable, mobile-first platform that streamlines supply chain networks and integrates with other organisational systems. In its successful pilot project, at The Luke Commission’s Miracle Campus hospital in Eswatini, this digital eco-system manages over 18 000 unique items and has completed over 2.3 million inventory operations, serving more than 700 000 patients. This award was sponsored by CEVA Logistics.

It was an outstanding evening for Inhance Supply Chain Solutions which won two categories at this year’s awards. The Innovation & Change Management Award was presented to Inhance Supply Chain Solutions and Twinsaver Group. Initially facing substantial operational challenges that threatened its market position, Twinsaver Group partnered with Inhance to undertake a strategic overhaul focusing on people and technological investments. The project included a Linear Programming engine for factory planning and advanced technology solutions such as a Warehouse Management System (WMS), Transport Management System (TMS), and a Supply Chain Control Tower. These innovations optimised production scheduling, streamlined logistics and provided real-time visibility, enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency. The Road Freight Association sponsored this award.

Inhance Supply Chain Solutions and Italtile Limited won the 2024 award for Supply Chain Co-ordination and Collaboration, in recognition of the remarkable results of a supply chain integration and transport optimisation solution. Implemented across the Italtile Group in partnership with Inhance, it provides business-wide visibility of operations through a logistics control tower that intelligently manages orders from the point of placement through to delivery at the customer. In addition to revenue growth, customer service, experience and satisfaction has been enhanced by logistics efficiency.

The Training & Talent Management category – sponsored by IMM – was an exceptional category with two winners both working in different countries to bridge the gender diversity and skills gaps. Pamela Steele Associates was recognised for the “Girls on the Move” initiative, which addresses gender disparity and skills shortages in health supply chain roles across Africa. It was launched by Pamela Steele Associates in Kisumu, Kenya. The joint winner in this category was a project run by BBOpEx working to uplift women in Africa while helping to close the supply chain talent gap. BBOpEx implemented an initiative to provide young women in South Africa with the necessary skills to compete for high-quality, good-paying jobs in the supply chain profession.

DHL South Africa was honoured with this year’s Preservation of the Environment Award, for its contribution to saving vultures. DHL embarked on a remarkable journey in partnership with non-profit vulture rehabilitation group Vulpro to transport 160 Cape and African White-backed vultures, which are notoriously sensitive birds, from a reserve in Hartbeespoort, near Pretoria, to Shamwari Game Reserve, Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. This was the largest move of its kind in Africa.

Top honours in the 2024 Unique Supply Chain Projects category went to Books for Africa. This organisation’s mission is to end the book famine in Africa by collecting, sorting, and shipping books to countries across the continent. In 2023, Books for Africa shipped four million books valued at over USD 32 million to 32 different African countries. The Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards judges recognised the profound impact that it has had on education and literacy rates in African countries.

The International Business Award was presented to Futuretend this year. Dubbed a small company taking on big challenges, Futuretend enabled multimillion-rand transactions exporting sugar and frozen chicken from Brazil predominantly to China and Africa. Throughout the process, it was necessary to learn about new products, new regulations and new ways of doing business.

The Judges Spotlight Award was announced by head judge Garry Marshall. The Luke Commission, powered by Luvelo Solutions, was the worthy recipient of this exclusive award.  Recognising the critical role played by the Luke Commission in Eswatini, the presentation of this award was met with a standing ovation from the assembled audience. “To respond to a critical shortage of oxygen during the Covid-19 pandemic with the solution to build your own oxygen plant in 52 days really is an exceptional feat. The entire Luke commission example demonstrates that supply chain excellence really does save lives,” Marshall commented.

At the gala dinner, the volunteer judges were thanked for investing so much of their time to champion supply chain excellence in Africa. This year’s judges were Marshall, Martin Bailey, David Crewe-Brown, Dean Gielink, Mike Johnston, Gavin Kelly, Kathy Bell, Thobekile Nxumalo, Leon Raath, Mesela Nhlapo, Clayton Thomas and Ronald Mlalazi and represent a diverse set of organisations operating in supply chain management.

The organisers expressed their gratitude to the sponsors of the 2024 Africa Supply Chain Excellence Awards. The prime sponsor was Forte Supply Chain Solutions. This year’s support sponsors were BidAir Cargo, DP World and Nucleus Mining Logistics in addition to the category sponsors.