Logistics

Spiro keen to expand growing industrial footprint (Image source: Spiro)

Spiro has announced a US$215mn investment to accelerate the deployment of its electric mobility and battery-swapping infrastructure across Africa

Building on the support of long-standing institutional partners such as FEDA, its latest equity round draws capital from Europe and Africa, with investors such as Impact Fund Denmark and Equitane.

In a statement, Spiro said it confirmed growing global confidence in scalable infrastructure-led business models in Africa and other emerging markets.

The company added that it is looking to execute its next chapter of pan-African expansion.

“This investment will support the expansion of Spiro’s battery-swapping network, strengthen its industrial and assembly footprint, accelerate technology development and support the company’s entry into new high-growth African markets,” it noted.

With operations across seven African markets — Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon — it now looking to further expand local production and enter new territories, including Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

“This past year marked a defining strategic milestone for Spiro,” said Gagan Gupta, founder of Spiro and chairman of Equitane, an investment platform committed to African long-term growth.

“Across seven active markets, our deployment of 100,000 electric vehicles and 2,500 smart-swap stations has turned sustainable mobility into an affordable, everyday reality.”

Gupta also noted that Spiro has become a major driver of local industrialisation, value creation and manufacturing across African markets with 6,000 sustainable direct and indirect jobs.

Its industrial footprint includes manufacturing plants in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, alongside a state-of-the-art battery recycling facility in Nigeria.

“Supported by our global pool of investors, we are entering our next growth chapter to deliver clean, cost-effective energy and transport alternatives to millions of riders across the continent.”

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MSC expands Kribi intermodal connectivity

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Kribi boosts Central African trade

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company has strengthened its intermodal logistics network in Cameroon through the integration of the Port of Kribi into a comprehensive door-to-door transport solution designed to improve cargo connectivity between Cameroon and inland destinations across Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR)

The expanded service combines ocean shipping, port handling and inland road transportation into a streamlined logistics offering, connecting Kribi with major regional destinations such as Yaoundé in Cameroon, Moundou and N’Djamena in Chad, and Bangui in the CAR. Supported by up to four vessel calls each week and direct shipping routes linking Cameroon with Asian markets including China, Korea, Vietnam and India, the solution is expected to provide businesses with a faster and more cost-effective cargo transport option.

As regional trade activity continues to increase, the enhanced use of Kribi is expected to improve freight movement throughout Central Africa while helping reduce congestion along traditional trade corridors. The Port of Kribi, Cameroon’s only deep-water port and the largest in Central Africa, remains a key gateway for regional commerce and logistics operations.

MSC stated that inland cargo distribution from Kribi will be managed through coordinated logistics services handled by its local operational teams. The company oversees the full transport process, including customs procedures, documentation management, cargo transportation and real-time shipment monitoring, ensuring improved visibility and efficient cargo movement from the port to final delivery points.

The latest development forms part of the second instalment of MSC’s Intermodal Campaign series. Following the first episode, which focused on the Abidjan–Ouagadougou rail corridor, the campaign continues to highlight the company’s efforts to strengthen cargo transportation networks and regional trade connectivity across Africa.

Konecranes Liftace 4532 TCE5 reach stackers. (Image source: Konecranes)

An expanding container terminal in the Republic of the Congo has placed an order for a new package of equipment from Konecranes to accommodate rising container traffic 

The order was recorded in the first quarter of 2026, with deliveries expected during the second half of the year.

Situated along the country’s western coastline, the terminal plays an important role in facilitating container movement across Central Africa. Earlier deliveries of Konecranes reach stackers and empty container handlers between 2021 and 2025 helped establish a dependable cargo-handling fleet at the facility. The latest procurement is intended to strengthen operational capacity as the terminal continues to expand.

The order includes five Konecranes Liftace 4532 TCE5 reach stackers, developed to improve the movement of containers throughout the yard, alongside six Konecranes Liftace E 6/7 ECC9 empty container handlers dedicated to stacking and repositioning empty containers. The lift trucks are designed to combine productivity with advanced safety and ergonomic features, creating a more efficient and comfortable working environment for operators.

Local delivery and long-term service support will be managed by Konecranes distributor Paterson Simons. The distributor’s technical specialists will remain on site for eight months to assist with commissioning and support the early stages of operations.

“Our long-standing cooperation with the terminal group, together with Paterson Simons’ local presence, creates the conditions for smooth commissioning and dependable lifecycle support. The result is a fleet designed to improve operational efficiency and sustain performance,” said Patrik Lundbäck, vice-president, sales & distribution, Lift Trucks, Konecranes

Supporting quay-side operations, the Konecranes Gottwald ESP.7 mobile harbour crane will enhance the loading and unloading of both containerised and general cargo. Offering a lifting capacity of up to 125 tonnes and an outreach of as much as 51 metres, the crane has been engineered to deliver reliable performance across a broad range of cargo-handling applications, including vessels in the post-Panamax category.

All 11 lift trucks, together with the mobile harbour crane, will feature TRUCONNECT Premium Remote Monitoring technology. The system provides real-time operational insights aimed at supporting preventative maintenance and increasing equipment availability.

“When customers choose Konecranes for both yard and quay equipment, they benefit from a consistent approach across the terminal. With our digital services delivering performance insights for the full fleet, operators gain the visibility to support efficiency over the longer term,” commented Antoine Bosquet, vice-president sales, Quay, Konecranes.

Konecranes continues to strengthen its position in the material handling sector through a customer-focused strategy and ongoing investment in business development and operational improvement. The company is also advancing digitalisation and new technologies while promoting more efficient material flows through solutions that contribute to decarbonisation, circularity and enhanced safety.

Ronald Mlalazi, president of the African Supply Chain Confederation (Image source: ASCON)

In an era defined by profound geopolitical volatility and persistent macroeconomic disruptions, the traditional ambit of Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been irrevocably altered – requiring it to become an inherent part of the business strategy, writes Ronald Mlalazi, president of the African Supply Chain Confederation (ASCON)

In fact, the global economic landscape of the 2020s exposed the fragility of hyper-optimised 'just-in-time' global value chains. Rising trade protectionism, localised conflicts disrupting vital maritime routes, and post-pandemic realignments forced boards of directors and national governments alike to confront the stark reality that supply chain resilience is synonymous with corporate survival and national security.

As a result, organisations have to abandon the outdated notion of SCM as a mere cost centre, instead needing to reposition it as the nucleus of corporate strategy, empowering SCM professionals to navigate these geopolitical complexities through strategic pivoting, risk mitigation, and localised capacity building.

Supply chains compete

In a stable environment, organisations may have been able to compete through product differentiation or marketing. That is no longer enough as an organisation’s market share and profitability are entirely dependent on the agility and resilience of its supply chain network.

The strategic response to geopolitical uncertainty requires moving away from sole reliance on distant, low-cost manufacturing hubs. With government and corporate backing, the modern supply chain strategy must now aggressively explore and implement sourcing strategies such as:

• Nearshoring and friendshoring: Relocating critical supply chain nodes to geographically closer or geopolitically aligned regions to mitigate risk.

• Local sourcing: Building domestic supplier capacity to buffer against international transit shocks.

When supply chain strategy is rightfully placed at the apex of the organisation and adequately resourced, it provides the agility required to manage these transitions without compromising the end consumer’s experience and brand promise.

The supply chain executive

Because supply chain leaders manage the most complex, financially consequential, and globally integrated facets of modern enterprises, they possess the holistic operational purview required to lead the entire business.

Take, for example, the Dangote Group strategy in which Aliko Dangote boldly restructured his industrial empire by repositioning the supply chain at the heart of corporate succession and strategy. Recognising that logistics and commercial operations are the lifeblood of his US$33bn conglomerate, Dangote entrusted these critical nodes to executives that understand the supply chain dynamics.

A similar move occurred in Malawi, when Feston Kaupa, former CEO at the Malawi Institute of Procurement and Supply, was appointed as the Minister of Defence, proving that this is not just a private sector priority.

In South Africa, the tax authority is leveraging supply chain compliance to combat the shadow economy through integrating supply chain mapping with inter-agency collaboration including the Border Management Authority and the National Consumer Commission.

These are but a few of many examples of how SCM skills extend far beyond their conventional logistics-focused role and can be applied to areas of the business that would previously have been seen as distinct from the job of moving products from point A to point B.

Growth driver

For the African continent, competent SCM is the fundamental engine for macroeconomic development. The successful implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) relies entirely on seamless cross-border logistics, harmonised procurement, and integrated regional value chains.

AfCFTA’s core objectives, creating a single liberalised market, boosting intra-African trade, and enhancing competitiveness, cannot be achieved without resilient supply networks. Supply chain professionals with broader strategic competencies are uniquely positioned to drive Africa’s beneficiation strategies to benefit from adding value to raw materials before they are exported.

By developing resilient, localised sourcing networks, SCM leaders can catalyse domestic manufacturing and foster job creation, an area in which ASCON is actively working to help establish standardised logistical frameworks. These are required to eliminate non-tariff barriers, ensuring that the theoretical free trade area becomes a functional reality.

Africa is at a pivotal moment. Even though the continent is young, resource-rich and filled with entrepreneurial energy, its growth depends on more than potential. Economies are built on the ability to move goods efficiently, connect markets and deliver reliably and at scale.

At its heart, that is a supply chain challenge.

Today’s supply chain leaders are doing far more than keeping shelves stocked or improving delivery times. They are helping build the foundations for African growth by developing the cross-border trade routes that could turn AfCTA into a practical reality, supporting local suppliers that strengthen domestic industry, and creating resilient networks that allow African businesses to compete globally.

The era of the supply chain CEO has arrived, and it is poised to be the catalyst for Africa’s industrial renaissance.

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