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maritime stakeholders from the
region. Kale is slated to bring its vast
experience in supply chain digitalisation
to best practice discussions concerning
competitiveness, safety, security, and
environmental protection in regional
port operations.
“It is my firm belief that Kale’s global IT
experience in the global ports and maritime
Overall, digitalisation sector will bring invaluable lessons to the
has played a critical sector in the Eastern & Southern Africa
role in enabling region and our members will stand to
benefit as they embrace the digitisation
sustainable logistics of their respective ports ecosystems,” said
practices, from PMAESA Secretary General, Colonel Andre
optimising transport Ciseau on the development.
“Acceleration in the uptake of IT
routes to improving systems, automation, and digitalisation in
supply chain the sector is a key indication of the region’s
transparency and priorities as it aims to improve efficiencies
in maritime gateways and increase port
reducing waste. competitiveness, thereby attracting more
SAM QUINTELIER shipping lines,” Ciseau added.
BRUSSELS AIRPORT
RISE OF E-COMMERCE
“This joint collaboration will help important, then we are missing the The rapid urbanisation of African cities
get your package efficiently delivered in point. Overall, digitalisation has played into megacities, availability of mobile
Kenya at your MPost mapped address a critical role in enabling sustainable phones, high internet penetration, and
with your phone number in a few days logistics practices, from optimising growth of fintech has also ensured the rise
and for cheap. Yobante carriers will route transport routes to improving supply of urban logistics and trade leading to the
it via selected and AI-optimised hubs chain transparency and reducing waste. growth of e-commerce and on-demand
from our resilient mesh network of relay These practices can help mitigate the services or consumer logistics in Africa.
points all over your package journey,” environmental impact of logistics This has also channelled into
Oumar Basse, the co-founder and chief operations while also improving the proliferation of supply chain
executive of Yobante Express told a efficiency and reducing costs. The management platforms and advanced
leading news outlet. only thing missing is a wider use and technologies like robots for warehouse
In fact, this February saw leading adoption of the e-phyto or a digital optimisation and clean energy for
software development company Awery phytosanitary document throughout warehouses and cold storage and drones
roll out the open-access version of its Africa as this would further increase the for delivery or instant logistics.
online booking and quoting portal impact of digitalisation.” As consumer buying patterns and digital
CargoBooking across South Africa, technology adoption underwent a dramatic
Switzerland, and Spain. ‘PORT’ING IT RIGHT shift post the Covid-19 pandemic, B2B
Tristan Koch, Chief Commercial The International Maritime commerce also underwent a transformation
Officer, Awery told delegates at the Air Organization's Facilitation Committee in Africa and also secured investors’
Cargo Africa conference in Johannesburg, has adopted amendments to the interest. According to leading research
South Africa, “The air cargo market Facilitation (FAL) Convention (adopted and intelligence company, Briter Bridges’s
across Africa is full of potential and in 1965) which will make the single The Product Insight Series (fourth edition)
stakeholders here will benefit hugely window for data exchange mandatory which examines Africa's leading B2B
from a digital approach. We believe in in ports around the world, marking a commerce start-ups, Africa's consumer
an air cargo digital democracy, and by significant step in the acceleration of spending is on the rise with the size of the
offering an open access version of our digitalisation in shipping. market having reached $1.4 trillion.
CargoBooking platform, we can help In line with this, last year saw Briter data also showed that 28 African
drive that transformation to the benefit of Kale Logistics Solutions (Kale) join startups offering B2B commerce as a
all players in the industry." as an associate member of the Port product have collectively raised over $470
Sam Quintelier, Cargo Business Management Association of Eastern & million in funding since 2008, with 90% of
Development Manager, Brussels Airport Southern Africa (PMAESA), which is this amount raised between 2021 and 2022
told the publication, “If we are still the industry voice for port authorities, alone. The funding is shared among seven
asking the question of “why” is this terminal operators, and port and geographies from the most to the least

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