From the GM’s Desk: Issue 1 | 25 September 2025

An opportunity for the SAPICS GM to share reflections on recent activities at SAPICS and his insights into the sector.

Reflections on the SAPICS Executive Summit 2025

The 2025 SAPICS Executive Summit on Wednesday, 10 September 2205 at the Sandton Convention Centre was nothing short of energising. Under the theme “Supply Chain as the Strategic Nerve Centre: Reshaping Supply Chains at the Heart of Decision-Making,” we brought together leaders, practitioners, and partners to tackle the realities of supply chain in what Omnia’s Jacques de Villiers aptly described as the “never normal.”

Omnia’s Keynote: From Risk to Optionality

Our morning opened with Jacques de Villiers, Group Head of Supply Chain at Omnia, who didn’t shy away from the tough questions. He unpacked the dual challenges of South Africa’s infrastructure woes and global geopolitical instability—and showed us how Omnia is turning those challenges into opportunities.

Addressing National and Global Risks

“It’s no longer about redundancy; it’s about optionality.” – Jacques de Villiers

Omnia’s strategy for derisking nationally is both practical and bold:

• Rail: Exploring private concession routes.
• Ports: Diversifying trade through Walvis Bay and Maputo.
• Utilities: Generating their own water and energy.

Yet Jacques reminded us that while companies can develop workarounds, the first prize is working together—business, SOEs, and government—to fix systemic problems in rail, ports, water, and electricity.

On the global stage, Omnia has redefined resilience. By sourcing ammonia and other critical raw materials from a diverse mix of countries—China, the US, India, Russia, Asia, and the Middle East—the company has built a web of options that reduces dependency and opens new markets.

Supply Chain as a Value Creator

Jacques’ keynote emphasised that supply chain is no longer about cost-cutting alone. It is about creating value and enabling growth.

Omnia’s supply chain division has demonstrated its value in three key ways:

1. Reducing working capital requirements by 50%–60% through supply chain excellence.
2. Winning new work by demonstrating reliability as an order-winning capability.
3. Meeting regulatory, governance, and ESG requirements, demanded by customers and markets.

Omnia’s supply chain team has also been central to the company’s digital transformation—from implementing advanced ERP systems to exploring the use of AI and LLMs (Large Language Models). This shift is accelerating Omnia’s ability to make better, faster, and smarter decisions.

Finally, Jacques highlighted Omnia’s people-centred philosophy:

“Let early-career professionals make small mistake so they can learn quickly.” – Jacques de Villiers

This developmental approach is building the next generation of supply chain leaders.

Highlights Beyond the Keynote

Of course, the morning wasn’t just about one company. The programme offered diverse insights that enriched our collective understanding.

Jeremy Basckin (MD, Neways) gave a sharp perspective on aligning transformation with business value. His message was clear: technology and systems must always serve strategy, not the other way around.

The Executive Roundtable was a powerhouse of perspectives:

• Thato Moloi (SAPICS President & Maersk)
• Jacques de Villiers (Omnia)
• Colette Yende (CPO, Transnet Engineering)
• Karen Pretorius (MD, KPI Cubed)
• Alvin Kalideen (Head of Strategic Sourcing, ESG & Sustainability, Sandvik Mining)

Facilitated by Jeremy Basckin, the dialogue covered topics such as predictive maintenance, smoothing out inventory flows using supply chain finance, choosing the right systems (Agility, Blue Yonder, SAP), using the SCOR digital standard and leveraging data from the supply chain to form “one version of the truth”.

The key takeaway? Supply chain leadership is no longer a back-office concern—it’s a boardroom priority.

Reflections on the Broader SAPICS Agenda

The Executive Summit is one of many initiatives through which SAPICS is deepening its role as the professional body for supply chain management in Africa. It reflects our commitment to convening the ecosystem—industry leaders, solution providers, academics, and government stakeholders—not only to discuss key emerging trends but to also drive transformation across supply chains.

At SAPICS, we are clear: supply chain is the backbone of competitiveness, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

Here’s what stood out from this year’s Summit:

• Leadership means placing supply chain at the heart of strategy.
• Excellence means using supply chains to create value, not just boost efficiency.
• Resilience means solving local problems while building global diversification.
• Talent must be nurtured with trust, space, and room to grow.

“It’s no longer about redundancy; it’s about optionality.” That line will stay with me—and I hope with you too.