Edited by Eamonn Ryan, supplied by SAPICS
For the cold chain sector, continuous learning and professional development are essential as supply chains become increasingly digital, interconnected and time-sensitive. Conferences that recognise innovation and encourage knowledge sharing help spread best practice across industries that rely on dependable logistics, including food, beverage and pharmaceutical distribution.
Supplied by SAPICS
The 2026 SAPICS Conference concluded by celebrating individuals and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to supply chain management while reinforcing the importance of investing in professional excellence.
Celebrating innovation and expertise
Awards presented during the closing dinner recognised excellence across technical papers, workshops, presentations and exhibition stands.
The Best Written Paper award went to Eleanor Red Louw from MANE in Dubai for You’re Too Direct: A South African’s Journey to Cross-Cultural Stakeholder Influence, highlighting the growing importance of communication and stakeholder management in global supply chains.
The Best Workshop award was presented to Sanjay Saha and Dr Andrew Brown of Bee Skilled Global, India, for their masterclass on transformational leadership.
Renier Louw of Inhance Supply Chain Solutions and Dax Puttergill of SPAR Group received the Best Speaker award for their presentation, SPAR2U: Skip the Aisles, We Bring the Smiles, reflecting the increasing role of agile retail fulfilment and last-mile delivery.
Mark Fuller of Afrilean Consulting was recognised as the Most Innovative Speaker for his presentation, TIPS: A Managerial Leadership Framework for Navigating Chaos in SCM, which explored leadership approaches for increasingly complex supply chain environments.
Exhibitor awards recognised Smartee for Best Booth, CEVA Logistics for Best Single Stand and DHL for Best Multi Stand.
Honouring six decades of leadership
To commemorate SAPICS’s 60th anniversary, the organisation introduced special Lifetime Achiever Awards recognising individuals who have helped shape supply chain management in South Africa and across the continent.
Recipients included Bill Schneider, Cobus Rossouw, Colin Seftel, Ken Titmuss, Liezl Smith, Martin Bailey, MJ Schoemaker, Tracy Cheetham, Kea Mpane, Mungo Park and former SAPICS Chief Operating Officer and long-time conference organiser Jenny Froome.
Their collective contributions have helped establish SAPICS as one of Africa’s leading professional bodies for supply chain education, certification and industry collaboration.
Strong industry support
The conference also demonstrated the broad support that exists across the logistics and supply chain sector.
Alongside Diamond Sponsor Transnet, Gold Sponsor CEVA Logistics, Silver Sponsors B2Wise, DHL, DP World, DSV, Dube Tradeport and Slimstock, together with Support Sponsors Eazi Access, Industrial Logistic System and KNAPP, reflected the collaborative nature of modern supply chains.
A platform for future growth
Delegates praised the conference for combining practical learning with valuable networking opportunities.
Bearing Man Group’s Ursela Klitzke described the event as consistently valuable, noting that it provided opportunities to learn from industry leaders, reconnect with colleagues and gain practical insights that could be applied directly in the workplace.
Alan Jansen van Vuuren from B2Wise reflected on the significance of SAPICS’s anniversary, saying that celebrating six decades of advancing supply chain thinking across Africa served as both a milestone and a reminder of the industry’s continuing momentum.
For the cold chain industry, the conference reinforced an important message: resilient temperature-controlled logistics depend as much on skilled people, collaboration and continuous learning as they do on physical infrastructure and technology. As Africa’s supply chains continue to evolve, sharing knowledge and developing future leaders will remain essential to delivering safe, efficient and sustainable cold chain operations.
Source: Supplied by SAPICS