We need to urgently work together to get SA’s logistics sector up and running

SOUTH Africa's logistics sector should be the engine of economic growth - yet it is weighed down by mismanagement, corruption, entrenched crime syndicates, unyielding labour unions, and crumbling infrastructure.

- FRANK DIENER

The result is a bleak and unsustainable picture.

In response, the private sector has been forced into a survival mode, quietly fixing what it can and actively finding ways around the dysfunction. Operating on the principle that it is often “easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” businesses across logistics industries are taking matters into their own hands simply to stay afloat and keep contributing to an economy in decay.

It is in this context that private participation across Transnet assets is such a glimmer of hope for logistics industry, and for the South African economy.

South Africa’s move - albeit slowly - to private partnerships at our national logistics assets makes sense. Many other countries have embraced what private partnerships can bring: innovation, efficiency, and investment discipline. The public sector then provides resources, expertise, and regulatory oversight. Together, these complementary roles can create more resilient systems. Much like a marriage, each partner brings distinct strengths that are most effective when combined.

This is not just a local consideration; it is part of a broader global trend in which governments are becoming progressively more reliant on private sector collaboration to ensure their own long-term sustainability. Some of these countries embracing private partnerships are even our closest neighbours.

But there is a real urgency as to why South Africa should be moving towards this model sooner rather than later.