The Covid-19 crisis has put the spotlight on supply chains and pushed supply chain professionals to their limits. Expertise in supply chain and procurement management, logistics and distribution has never been more important than it is today, according to SAPICS, The Professional Body for Supply Chain Management.

Sharing knowledge, networking and upskilling the profession – to ensure that businesses and economies can survive today and beyond Covid-19 – is vital right now, and cannot be put on hold until social distancing is behind us and traditional educational events can resume, says SAPICS president Keabetswe Mpane. To this end, SAPICS has joined forces with Smart Procurement to offer Africa’s largest ever online event for procurement and supply chain professionals.

“Africa Supply Chain in Action”, which takes place on 19 and 20 August, was officially launched with an online information session last week. Representatives from 20 countries – from Angola and Australia to Zambia and Zimbabwe – attended the online launch.

Addressing the attendees, Mpane said: “These are unusual times and it is imperative that we pull together to strengthen our supply chains across the African continent.

We all need to learn from each other. There is so much experience, knowledge and expertise available amongst all of us and now is the time for Africa to stand up tall and respond to this global crisis.

“SAPICS has a history of nearly 60 years of supporting and building the supply chain community in Southern Africa.  We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with

Smart Procurement to create a platform where supply chain and procurement professionals across the entire continent of Africa can meet,” Mpane added.

Africa Supply Chain in Action is expected to bring together more than 1 000 procurement and supply chain professionals.

Guest speaker on behalf of Smart Procurement and Fellow of CIPS, Ronald Mlalazi, stated that Africa Supply Chain in Actionprovides supply chain professionals with “a unified voice and advocacy to influence policy, eradicate poverty and corruption by raising the professional standard and elevating the role of the supply chain management profession in economic emancipation forthe African child”.  

“A collection of professional bodies speaking with one voice and having a shared vision will accomplish a better life for an Africanchild,” he said.

In addition to its education aspect, the event will offer an invaluable networking opportunity for delegates, as well as a virtual exhibition for companies and individuals. Supply chain professionals will be able to link up and network after Africa Supply Chain in Action using the SmartXchange platform. “This is a meeting system developed by Smart Procurement to connect professionals as well as create a marketplace for SMMEs to showcase their products and services where buyers can see and purchase their offerings,” explains Debbie Tagg, COO of Smart Procurement. Individuals and organisations will be able to exhibit their offerings at the virtual expo that will take place during the online conference.

Reflecting SAPICS and Smart Procurement’s commitment to giving back to the profession, and building a pipeline of talented supply chain professionals to address the skills crisis, a percentage of the proceeds generated by Africa Supply Chain in Action will go towards training for supply chain professionals in Africa.