Original Research

Provincial logistics costs in South Africa’s Western Cape province: Microcosm of national freight logistics challenges

Jan H. Havenga, Leila L. Goedhals-Gerber, Anneke de Bod, Zane Simpson
Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management | Vol 9, No 1 | a206 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/jtscm.v9i1.206 | © 2015 Jan H. Havenga, Leila L. Goedhals-Gerber, Anneke de Bod, Zane Simpson | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 29 July 2015 | Published: 30 September 2015

About the author(s)

Jan H. Havenga, Department of Logistics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Leila L. Goedhals-Gerber, Department of Logistics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Anneke de Bod, Department of Logistics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
Zane Simpson, Department of Logistics, Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Abstract

Background: Logistics costs are most commonly measured on a national level. An understanding of the provincial logistics landscape can add significant value both to provincial and national policy interventions; such measurements are however scarce. South Africa’s national freight logistics survey points to significant challenges in the structure of the freight transport market, most importantly the dominance of road freight transport on dense, longdistance corridors. The Cape Town-Gauteng corridor is the main economic artery linking the Western Cape province to the rest of the country.

Objectives: The provincial government commissioned this research to develop an understanding of the province’s contribution to the national logistics challenges in order to alleviate both provincial and national logistics challenges.

Results: The research results provide a distinct description of the key action required – to provide an intermodal solution for the dense flows of fast-moving consumer goods on the Cape Town-Gauteng corridor in order to reduce the significant transport and externality costs related to these flows and reduce exposure to exogenous cost drivers.

Conclusion: Collaborative research between government and private industry into appropriate intermodal technologies must be prioritised within the ambit of South Africa’s socioeconomic environment. This shift can be further supported through the internalisation of road transport externalities to enable a total cost decision between modes, as well as through appropriate regulation of the freight transport industry.


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Crossref Citations

1. Characterization of Airfreight-Related Logistics Firms in the City of Cape Town, South Africa
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doi: 10.3390/logistics7030038