Levers for Change

Experts from different areas of the innovation and logistics sector in Europe and Africa gathered once more in a consultation session to identify the leverage points for shifting the transport and logistics system at the critical mile in Africa towards a healthier state.

The session, conducted on Monday 12 April 2021, included representatives from government bodies, such as the Zambia Information Communication and Technology Agency, innovation support programmes like SAIS Southern Africa Innovation Support, investors like Prospero and academia the Lagos Business School. Other experts represented Digital Innovation Hubs, start-ups, corporate and non-profit organizations.

Building on the findings of the previous session, Endeva presented five interlinked feedback loops that represent the reinforcing dynamics of the critical mile logistics system:

• limited government engagement with innovative companies
• limited awareness of the importance of logistics
• lack of adequate financing for start-ups and small and medium-sized companies
• the paradigm that large companies integrate the whole logistics chain by-passing existing stakeholders like informal traders’ networks.

Participants discussed each of the five feedback loops, and identified the leverage points which could contribute to change the system. Here below some of the identified leverage points:

• increase in transparency and access to information for all parties
• connecting the formal and informal sectors, establishing a collaborative platform by a neutral party
• developing strong use cases and business models in the smart logistics sector