Investing in the cold chain in Africa By Lizelle van der Berg , Customer Executive , CCS Logistics Commercial Cold Holdings ( CCH ) is playing a part in providing greater food security on the African continent .
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INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Investing in the cold chain in Africa By Lizelle van der Berg , Customer Executive , CCS Logistics Commercial Cold Holdings ( CCH ) is playing a part in providing greater food security on the African continent .
Sequence Logistics Aeroton offering 19 472 pallets frozen and chilled bulk storage , fine picking and secondary distribution .
Investing in the cold chain in Africa has been a hot topic over the past few years . Though many are looking to invest , very few understand the 54 African countries and their cold chains , or lack thereof . Almost every country is different to the other , but also so similar when it comes to the challenges faced in the cold chain .
Commercial Cold Holdings ( CCH ) was established in 2023 to target the growing demand for temperature-controlled logistics as food supply chains are growing in volume , length and complexity across the continent . Building and strengthening the cold chain in Africa is critical to improving food security by reducing food waste and will allow domestic producers meet standards to export their product . CEO of CCH , Paul Gibbons , has recently been appointed by Global Cold Chain Alliance ( GCCA ), the largest cold chain association in the world , to its new board of directors . With Paul ’ s global experience and local commitment to developing the cold chain , this is a great achievement for
CCH and the future of the African cold chain as Africa now has representation on this international forum .
As South Africa has a more advanced cold chain infrastructure it was imperative to anchor CCH ’ s strategy with two established players in South Africa for the platform ’ s regional expansion as new market entries will leverage from the expertise within Commercial Cold Storage ( CCS Logistics ) and Sequence Logistics . CCS Logistics is a leading provider of cold storage in South Africa and Namibia with almost 100 000 pallets capacity and has been operating for over 50 years . Sequence Logistics is an established provider of integrated temperature-controlled logistics services with 46 000 pallets capacity offering both bulk storage and secondary distribution .
The latest acquisition was a controlling stake in SGH Freezer , still under construction in Gqeberha , Eastern Cape . This facility is in Greenbushes which is perfectly situated between the two port terminals . It is a multitemperature cold storage facility offering frozen capacity as well as chilled capacity for the fruit export industry , with steri and force cooling capabilities and systems to ensure the necessary traceability .
CCH ’ s vision is shaped around playing a part in providing greater food security on the African continent . The vision of CCH is to invest for growth in the businesses they hold by investing in systems ( WMS and ERP ), investing in people ( skills , training and well-being ), investing in infrastructure ( capacity and footprint ) and investing in sustainability ( energy security , water efficiency and waste reduction ). CCH plans to build a pan-Africa platform through strategic acquisitions and organic growth and expand to at least four priority African markets in the next five years .
“ Environmental , Social , and Governance principles are crucial to developing resilient companies and assets that deliver longterm value for stakeholders ” says Jurie Schoeman , chief operating officer of CCH .
Supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and recognising the role to play in achieving these goals and creating a positive change for a sustainable and inclusive future .
This ESG Policy outlines the approach to integrate ESG in business activities and depicts the commitment towards ensuring sustainability , combating climate change , diversity , integrity and inclusiveness in our operations .
CCH is taking a significant step at CCS Logistics by implementing world-class upgrades to our warehouse management and enterprise resource planning systems , directly enhancing efficiency , reliability and personalised service to our customers . CCS Logistics is moving over from SAP to Korber Kmotion e3PL ( WMS ) and Sage X3 ( ERP ). Korber Kmotion e3PL is a proven international cold chain solution and is used by companies such as Americold and Lineage Logistics , the world ’ s largest cold chain solutions provider .
“ By implementing a single platform that is scalable across the group we are enhancing accuracy and streamlining data capture processes , improving traceability and reporting and leveraging smarter data to make informed decisions swiftly ,” says Brendan Clark , chief information officer at CCH . The new systems rollout will be done gradually with the goal of achieving full implementation across all our facilities before the end of 2024 . The goal of achieving full implementation across all the facilities of Sequence Logistics is June 2025 . “ Offering a broader range of services across the greater group and matching these to our customers unique requirements is how we like to develop bespoke , fit for purpose network solutions in collaboration with our customers ” says Francois Roux , chief customer officer at CCH .
One group making a difference in the cold chain in Africa by ensuring access to cold storage and refrigerated distribution ; CCH contributes to reducing food loss and improving food security by growing and strengthening the cold chain in Africa . CLA
Supplied by Commercial Cold Holdings
CCS Paarden Eiland , offering 13 370 pallets frozen bulk storage and fine picking and 24 tons blast freezing capability .
Supplied by Commercial Cold Holdings
CCS Duncan Dock , offering 9 400 pallets frozen bulk storage , 100 tons blast freezing capability and -60 ° C storage capability .
16 www . coldlinkafrica . co . za COLD LINK AFRICA • May 2024