Author:nick-poree

An anniversary year… but should we be celebrating? June 27, 2024 There are some notable anniversaries in South Africa this year – but NICK PORÉE cautions that many are no cause for celebration. For South Africa, the year 2024 is, in many ways, an “anniversary year” of landmark events in many aspects of life, policy, and particularly transport. It is also an election year, which makes the anniversaries even more relevant as we contemplate the future. Winston Churchill once said: […]

Corridors or Corridas? May 31, 2024 What do road freight corridors and a Spanish corrida have in common? A lot more than you would think. NICK PORÉE explains… Road freight transport on Southern Africa’s corridors is full of players with conflicting objectives. It is something like the Spanish corrida – with the various authorities as the bulls and drivers as the patient mounts of the picadors, engaging the bull without ability to retaliate. In this case, however, there are a […]

Policy change or a mere shift? April 30, 2024 Can South Africa’s railways be resurrected? NICK PORÉE says the future of the economy depends on it, but points out that policy change is urgently required. Policy: “A set of ideas or plans that is used as a basis for making decisions.” (Collins Dictionary) The current logistics crisis in South Africa is the direct result of government policy over the past 120 years: the policy decision to control and provide transport […]

Transport and logistics: privatisation pioneers April 25, 2024 Private initiative in South Africa has been the driving force in the country’s development, despite government resistance and attempts at control. NICK PORÉE notes that despite all policy pronouncements, privatisation “just happens” when government fails to provide. Privatisation has happened in education, health care, public transport, security, and transport. In fact, transport and logistics in this country have always been driven by the initiative of private pioneers, despite the extensive nationalisation since […]

DTIC policy places transporters at risk March 5, 2024 The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition is pursuing policies that can have dire consequences for transport operators, warns NICK PORÉE. The Department of Trade, Industry, and Competition (DTIC) – which should be renamed the Department of Trade, Industry, and Non-Competition – has recently published discussion papers on trade policy, localisation, and greening the economy. These papers have many serious implications for the road transport industry. The issues are real and […]

The sorry tale of SA Logistics: 30 Years On February 5, 2024 As we start the year 2024, it is interesting to note that this marks the 30-year anniversary of the change of government in 1994. NICK PORÉE looks back at the trends in economic growth, as reflected in the annual change in gross domestic product (GDP) over past 30-year periods. Using GDP as the indicator of the profitability of the country, it can be seen that in the period […]

Fun and Games for 2024 January 5, 2024 As South Africa says goodbye to another year, we are forced to concede that, unlike the Springboks, our transport and logistics industry did not pull off any last gasp saves. As NICK PORÉE details, the sector most certainly did not emerge as champions in 2023. Transnet showed a loss of R5.7 billion, while the National Treasury estimates that rail inefficiencies cost the economy R411 billion in 2022, and possibly even more in […]

Transport and logistics in SA: well and truly broken December 1, 2023 Massive challenges abound within South Africa’s transport and logistics sector. NICK PORÉE lists the areas requiring attention, but be warned: they are plentiful. The railway crisis continues and the government (to put it politely) has it all “baas about face” again. Government needs to hire an internationally qualified and competent railway chief executive and competent supporting managers. It does not need to deploy another board: however well qualified, […]

Rail-to-road rampage! November 7, 2023 It’s a perfect storm: poor management, idle locomotives, cable theft and ageing equipment have combined to bring Transnet to its knees, unleashing thousands of trucks on the roads. NICK PORÉE warns of dire consequences to this sorry situation… The transport and logistics crisis in South Africa is spinning into a tornado as the railway reneges on its commitments and is replaced by a surge of articulated tipper combinations transporting bulk commodities to ports and curtain […]

Conning the ship of state  September 27, 2023 There is an enormous difference between the words “conn” and “con”. If South Africa is going to prosper, it needs a captain to conn the ship of state – and not more misinformation and cons, says NICK PORÉE. A captain “conns” a ship across the seas, using knowledge and information from various sources. The word “conn” implies knowledge, situational awareness, and the ability to coordinate control of rudder, sails, propeller, and crew. […]