Middle East/Africa

$100-Billion Chocolate Industry Still Plagued by Child Labor

October 21, 2020

A decade after the $100 billion chocolate industry pledged to cut child labor in the world’s top cocoa producers, a report sponsored by the U.S. government shows the problem has actually gotten worse.

Countries Rush to Hoard Food as Prices Rise, Covid Worsens

October 15, 2020

Bloomberg

Agricultural commodity buyers from Cairo to Islamabad have been on a shopping spree since the COVID-19 pandemic upended supply chains.

U.S. Funds a Supply-Chain Center in Ghana: A Challenge to China and Russia?

September 14, 2020

Robert J. Bowman, SupplyChainBrain

The United States Agency for International Development recently awarded $15 million for creation of a research and training center for supply-chain management in Ghana. But the move might signal a broader effort by the U.S. to counter the growing economic influence of China, and to a lesser extent Russia, throughout the African continent.

Amazon Makes Sweeping Changes for First Prime Day of Pandemic

August 6, 2020

Bloomberg

Amazon.com will kick off its first Prime Day since the coronavirus outbreak later this week in India — modifying almost everything about the retail bonanza to navigate the realities of a new era.

Beirut Explosion Destroys Tonnes of Lebanon’s Food Stocks

Beirut Explosion Destroys Tons of Lebanon’s Food Stocks

August 6, 2020

Bloomberg

The huge explosion in Lebanon’s capital of Beirut tore through major grain silos, stoking fears of shortages in a nation that imports nearly all its food and is already reeling from economic crisis.

AKI Group Transforms Transportation Operations, Saves $1 Million

Case Study

AKI Group Transforms Routing Operations, Saves $1 Million

August 1, 2020

SupplyChainBrain

The Dubai-based conglomerate, facing significant operational inefficiencies and a huge number of different products and customers, moves to assert more control over transportation routing and scheduling.

Embrace Supply Chain Complexity and Win

July 29, 2020

TECSYS

Four reasons why you should embrace complexity in your operations — and three things you need to do it successfully.

Trade Pact to Give Africa $450 Billion Boost, World Bank Says

July 27, 2020

Bloomberg

An Africa-wide free-trade pact could bolster the region’s income by $450 billion and lift 30 million people out of extreme poverty by 2035.

CEVA Logistics Announces Plan to Expand its Services in Africa

June 16, 2020

SupplyChainBrain

CEVA Logistics recently announced a three-part expansion plan for the African market. The company has acquired a controlling shareholding in AMI Worldwide, a third-party logistics provider with an extensive network in East and Southern Africa.

The Global Airline Shutdown Has a Surprise Victim: Gold Miners

April 21, 2020

Bloomberg

Producers typically rely on regular airline services to ferry mined metal from remote operations to specialist plants.

Middle East/Africa

The latest supply chain news, analysis, trends and best practices for companies operating in the Middle East and Africa. The Middle Eastern region consists of 18 countries that stretch from the western borders of Turkey and Egypt to the eastern edges of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Learn how businesses are optimizing supply chain and logistics performance in these regions, addressing a range of challenges such as poor infrastructure, complex customs and tax laws, unstable political climates and government controlled exchange rates - as well as capitalizing on new land and labor opportunities, particularly across Africa.