The annual SAPICS Spring Summit for supply chain professionals will take place in Johannesburg on 29 August 2024. Organiser SAPICS (The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management) has announced that the deadline for registration is looming and urges supply chain professionals to attend this important industry event that will explore the latest trends, innovations and best practices in the industry.

The programme includes compelling presentations from this year’s SAPICS Conference, Africa’s leading event for the supply chain profession, which took place in Cape Town in June. More than 750 supply chain managers from 30 countries gathered for this 46th annual SAPICS Conference to share knowledge and network.

The SAPICS Spring Summit offers supply chain managers who were unable to attend the 2024 SAPICS Conference in Cape Town a chance to catch up on some of what they missed. The half-day event is also aimed at supply chain professionals looking for a high calibre, high impact, affordable and informative event that doesn’t require extended time out of the office, SAPICS states.

Author and entrepreneur Tshepo Mekoa

The 2024 SAPICS Spring Summit kicks off with a networking lunch at 12:00 with the presentations starting at 12:40 at the Focus Rooms in Modderfontein, Johannesburg. Attendees can expect to be entertained and inspired by the opening keynote presented by Tshepo Mekoa, chief executive officer and founder of Brima Logistics. Mekoa’s presentation at SAPICS 2024 in Cape Town was commended by delegates and he will return to the SAPICS stage for the Spring Summit in Johannesburg. In the story of his “14-Year Startup”, author and entrepreneur Mekoa shares what he learnt while growing his one-truck startup from a venture operating from the garage at his home into a multi-million Rand business with branches across South Africa and more than 150 employees.

Enhancing healthcare access in Africa with innovative supply chain solutions

Supply chains get goods from manufacturers to end users. They also save lives. Strong health supply chains are critical to get lifesaving medicines and health products to where they are needed, when they are needed, including to the most vulnerable communities. In his SAPICS Spring Summit presentation this year, Stephanus Hendricksz, managing director of Right ePharmacy, South Africa, will share a healthcare access success story from Lesotho. “Efficient supply chain management is critical for equitable healthcare access in Africa, yet many regions face logistical hurdles and fragmented systems. Our innovative programme in Lesotho exemplifies a transformative approach to decentralised drug distribution and collection, enhancing healthcare outcomes through patient-centric and transparent supply chain and logistics solutions,” Hendricksz explains.

The impact of leadership style

Vanya Jansen won the award for Best Speaker at this year’s annual SAPICS Conference in Cape Town. Her outstanding presentation on how an organisation’s leadership style and organisational culture impacts its resilience and agility is a highlight of this year’s SAPICS Spring Summit. “Due to the many recent disruptive events that have severely impacted the retail sector, executives managing organisations must understand which capabilities are lacking and which capabilities require further development,” says Jansen. “When organisations have the correct capabilities entrenched, it will safeguard the business to withstand and absorb disruptions and allow for opportunities to be identified and actioned,” she contends, noting that organisations that employ the correct leaders and foster a nurturing culture that stimulates resilience and agility have thrived in the current volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous (VUCA) environment.

Vulnerable vultures in the spotlight

Vultures may seem like an unlikely discussion at a supply chain conference, but the logistics and security involved in transporting these magnificent and highly sensitive birds will absorb attendees, SAPICS says. The captivating story of DHL’s partnership with Vulpro to transport 160 Cape and African White-backed vultures from Hartbeespoort to Shamwari Game Reserve - covering 1,042 km in 18 hours - will be shared at the Spring conference by Nadia Opperman, distribution centre controller at DHL Supply Chain.

Supply chain visibility and the Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model's impact on enhancing supply chain efficiency are other important topics on this year’s SAPICS Spring Summit programme. Grant Swanepoel, regional lead, Global Channels and Alliances at the Association for Supply Chain Management will share with the audience the SCOR model's impact on enhancing supply chain efficiency. A not to be missed panel discussion will focus on the importance of supply chain command centres in identifying and addressing blind spots, ensuring better visibility and efficiency in supply chain operations. The panel will be moderated by Dr Juanita Maree, chief executive officer (CEO) of the Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) with expert panellists Dr Jacob van Rensburg, head: Research and Development at SAAFF, Garry Marshall, CEO of the South African Express Parcel Association (SAEPA), and Evert de Ruiter, principal consultant at Auctoro Advisory.