The annual SAPICS Conference, which is now in its 48th year, is Africa’s premier learning, knowledge sharing and networking event for the supply chain profession. It brings together industry leaders, practitioners and innovators from across the sector. This year’s conference, which takes place in Cape Town from 19 to 22 July 2026, is a milestone one as it celebrates SAPICS’s 60th anniversary.

It also takes place at a time when global supply chains are facing extraordinary disruption and challenges, SAPICS notes. “Supply chain managers are currently facing intense, multifaceted pressures as they transition from pandemic-era crisis management to building long-term resilience. They are navigating geopolitical instability, tariffs and trade wars, unreliable logistics, cost volatility and ESG compliance, to keep getting goods where they need to be, when they need to be there. It is more important than ever to stay up to date on the latest solutions, trends, tools and technologies, and to build relationships and collaborate.”

This year’s conference features a dedicated programme stream exploring the practical application of AI, digital tools and technology in supply chain management. A powerful session by Yomi Kazeem from Salient Advisory focuses on one of the most critical sectors for innovation: healthcare. Kazeem will share his insights on how AI applications are being used to improve efficiency, transparency and resilience in healthcare supply chains.

In a presentation entitled “Leading Digital Transformation in the AI Era: Moving at Speed While Foundations Catch Up”, Michael Schlebusch from Zula360 will present a strategic perspective on how organisations can lead digital transformation at pace while ensuring that data, systems and governance foundations evolve alongside rapidly advancing AI capabilities.

The rise of intelligent agents will be explored in a presentation by Abf Sugar’s Melicia Buddan. She contends that intelligent agents and applied AI are already impacting the supply chains of businesses ranging from large corporates to entrepreneurs and will outline what the practical implementation of this technology looks like today.

Steven Sutherland from Powerfleet will share his insights on data-driven infrastructure at the SAPICS Conference, exploring how AI, advanced analytics and video intelligence are shaping the next generation of secure, responsive and resilient supply networks.