EDITORIAL
LOUISE FENNER-SOLOMON | PUBLISHER
OUR TEAM
PUBLISHER / ADVERTISING
Louise Fenner-Solomon
082 572 4707
[email protected]
PUBLISHER / DESIGN
Peter Fenner-Solomon
082 521 3916
[email protected]
ACCOUNTS
Peter Fenner-Solomon
082 521 3916
[email protected]
As of the end of August, it would appear that Covid-19 is finally in
retreat in most parts of the country, and although we can’t quite
breathe easily just yet, a brief glance at our daily lives would almost
convince us that things are back to normal. They aren’t but this is a
‘new normal’ we will have to adapt to for some time to come.
It if makes us feel better, we know that we’ve all been through this tough time
together and are slowly starting to make headway in salvaging the last few months
of the year. Building sites are hives of activity, working to make up for lost time, and
while it saddens me to also see many retrenchments as a result of those months of
hard lockdown, I have also noticed the posts on LinkedIn for a number of vacancies
have started to pick up from mid August.
With adversity comes opportunity and for as much as sectors such as hospitality and
brick and mortar retail are facing a tough time, conversely those in the logistics sector
SUBSCRIBE
SOUTH AFRICA
1 Year / 6 Issues R480 exc. VAT
2 Year / 12 Issues R900 exc. VAT
INTERNATIONAL
1 Year / 6 Issues R1 200 exc. VAT
2 Year / 12 Issues R2 200 exc. VAT
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE
Email us your subscription choice:
[email protected]
are busier than ever, with the move to online purchases leading to increased demand
for warehousing. In a recent release, Paragon Group Director, Estelle Meiring noted
that the general rule of thumb is that e-commerce requires three times the logistics
space of traditional storefronts. “Therefore it is reasonable to assume that we will see a
much greater investment in warehouse space to support local e-commerce. In addition
to this, warehousing demand might be accelerated by the growth of e-commerce in
the rest of Africa. Improvements in racking, logistics and building technology have
seen an increase in warehouse clear eave heights, often as high as 15m, as well as
an increase in yard depths, sometimes in excess of 45m. We have also noticed more
requests for cross-docking and an increase in the number of warehouse doors required,
as inputs and outputs are maximised,” reveals Meiring.
Plans for over 50 Strategic Integrated Projects were recently announced by the
CONTACT US
TELEPHONE 082 572 4707
FACSIMILE 086 551 8323
EMAIL [email protected]
Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure in July, which is obviously good news
but it remains to be seen how successfully this programme will be implemented and
whether the substantial funds required will actually materialise. Regardless, companies
must remain ready to seize those opportunities should they arise.
WEB
www.archibuild.co.za
4 Editorial