Logistics are key to Africa’s projects, existing and future, stated materials management and logistics consultancy Greiner, Mendi & Associates (GMA) MD Lars Greiner, speaking at a preview of the 2016 Breakbulk Africa project cargo, heavy-lift and logistics conference and exhibition in Johannesburg last month.

Reducing company and project risk, con-trolling logistics costs and schedules, and increasing the viability of challenging projects are among the skills that Breakbulk Africa 2016 will help project logistics specialists master, Greiner states.

Speaking at the conference preview, he stressed that “Africa remains a growth sector and a light in a dull global economy”.

Breakbulk Africa is a key global event for the continent’s project cargo and breakbulk industry, where local operators and international stakeholders meet to create partnerships and drive business. The conference will run from April 4 to 7 at Emperors Palace, in Johannesburg.

Challenges Greiner, who is also a conference moderator, reiterated that international and local logistics executives could not afford to ignore the African market, stressing that “ . . . the Breakbulk congress aims to educate the South African logistics industry on the benefits of Africa as a market, encourage knowledge sharing, as well as discuss sector challenges and lessons learned”.

Breakbulk Africa sessions will highlight focus areas for project cargo and logistics and new and innovative logistics methods to mitigate the existing and new challenges of these projects.

“Effective logistics can render projects that are not initially viable, viable, and progress this sector in all the related industries,” Greiner explained.

While Breakbulk Africa has shown good growth in the past three years, he claimed that not enough attention is paid to logistics in South Africa.

Once companies realised the importance of logistics, they could acquire more ownership of the projects, retain control of the project schedule through the logistics and, thereby, reduce company and project risks, he sug- gested.

“Consequently, the African logistics prices could decrease and the sector could become more competitive.”