If you ever happen to be passing Port Elizabeth and need to stop off in town, you might just find yourself hitching a lift on the Syncro Too, the latest and potentially longest taxi in town. 12 Nov 2015
Gemalto is launching the next generation of its UpTeq Multi-Tenant NFC SIM which supports multiple transport applications from different city networks by embedding the MIFARE4Mobile1 v2 application. This globally interoperable solution on the market allows the use of an NFC smartphone to work on all MIFARE Classic and DESFire transport networks such as the ones in Los Angeles, Stockholm, Madrid and more. 11 Nov 2015
Driver-partners of internet ride-sharing service Uber will have easier access to cars following a R200m agreement with vehicle finance provider WesBank and FirstRand's enterprise development fund Vumela. The companies announced on Tuesday in Johannesburg that they've struck up a partnership to offer Uber driver-partners the opportunity to rent cars from WesBank as part of a three-year full maintenance lease programme. 10 Nov 2015
DHL Express has identified a growing need for express courier services among local small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and consumers and has expanded it national footprint by more than 130% through partnerships with local business and retailers located across South Africa. As a result, the company's retail footprint has grown to over 650 locations across South Africa in just nine months. 10 Nov 2015
The City of Cape Town's transport authority, Transport for Cape Town, has allocated a special budget of R18m to implement 270 traffic calming projects across the city in the current financial year. 9 Nov 2015
According to Phyllis Difeto, Transnet National Ports Authority's (TNPA) Chief Operations Officer, who delivered the welcome address at the African Ports Evolution 2015 conference on behalf of Chief Executive, Richard Vallihu, the ports industry is currently in a state of radical change and uncertainty, requiring flexible and adaptable port planning and design. 9 Nov 2015
The convergence of technologies such as Cloud computing, mobility, Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT) are creating unprecedented opportunities for logistics operators to better manage their assets and vehicle traffic. For shipping ports, airports, warehouse dispatch centres, production sites, and fleet company yards, there are scores of benefits for adopting what we refer to as SmartHub Logistics (SHL). All of these environments have similar constraints: limited opportunity for expansion, growing volumes of cargo and traffic, high costs associated with downtime, and the constant drive to 'do more with less'. 9 Nov 2015
Pioneering the on-demand economy in South Africa, SA Florist has launched its 'Same-Day All-Day' delivery service called Zoom Bloom. 6 Nov 2015
A boom is expected in the courier express parcel (CEP) industry due to two market developments. The first, a game-changing innovation in the CEP industry which is opening new markets and the second, the rapid growth of the e-commerce industry in South Africa and Africa, which will significant increase the demand for fast, affordable and convenient courier express parcel services. 6 Nov 2015
Pledges were made by private, public and civil society sectors to reduce the level of road accidents in Botswana at the first National Road Safety Symposium, Effective Partnerships for Road Safety, which took place on 28-29 October 2015 at the Gaborone International Convention Centre in Botswana. The conference discussed the country's pledge to the UN 'Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020', under the five pillars - Road Safety Management, Safer Roads and Mobility, Safer Vehicles, Safer Road Users and Post Crash Response. 6 Nov 2015
COPENHAGEN: Maersk Line, the world's number one container shipping firm, said on Wednesday it would cut 4,000 jobs by the end of 2017 and defer vessel investments to buoy up its dominant position in a falling market. 5 Nov 2015
International provider of smart supply chain solutions, Barloworld Logistics has announced the formation of a strategic partnership with LLamasoft, global provider in supply chain design software solutions. 4 Nov 2015
The Ports of East London and Mossel Bay were the latest to go live with Transnet National Ports Authority's web-based Integrated Port Management System (IPMS) on 28 October 2015, with TNPA beginning registration of port users onto the system from 23 October 2015. Joining Durban, Cape Town, Saldanha, Port Elizabeth and Ngqura, this brings the number of ports now using TNPA's 'smartPORT' technology to seven. The Port of Richards Bay will be the last to roll out the technology in November. 4 Nov 2015
The use of intelligent predictive maintenance platforms for organisations in the transportation sector can unleash powerful business advantages. Case studies show that the use of predictive maintenance platforms can reduce costs by up to 30%, increase productivity by 25% and lower downtime due to outages by up to 45%. 3 Nov 2015
Ethekwini Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo, Deputy Mayor Cllr Nomvuzo Shabalala other city officials and members of the Executive Committee met with Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) officials to discuss possible partnerships between the City and the parastatal. In recognition of the role Durban Port plays in contributing to South Africa's economy, the meeting saw city officials making a commitment to work closely with TNPA to spur further development and investment in the Port and, therefore, the city. 2 Nov 2015
Sandton's EcoMobility World Festival may have ended, but eco-mobility and sustainable transport in South Africa will still be in the spotlight at the 2015 Green Building Convention in Cape Town. Organisers of the country's top sustainability event, the Green Building Council South Africa (GBCSA), have convened a panel of experts to discuss eco-mobility in South Africa's cities and the search for sustainable transport solutions. 2 Nov 2015
TomTom is partnering with the Dutch Embassy on the up and coming House of the Future #CoCreate project, which will take place from 16 November in Turbine Hall, Johannesburg. Key thought leaders and industry stakeholders will come together to generate solutions for shared challenges in the health, logistics, energy, agri-food and water sector. 2 Nov 2015
Roadside memorials like wooden crosses and stone markers, marking the locations of fatal traffic accidents, have become a common sight in South Africa. The reality is that many of these accidents are caused by professional drivers in the transport industry and the number of accidents caused by driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is unacceptably high. Therefore, it is essential to place tighter control and regulation on the transport sector to help reduce the number of alcohol-related accidents, injuries and deaths on SA's roads. 2 Nov 2015
As many manufacturers have experienced, finding a distributor in Africa is challenging. For brands to succeed in Africa, they will need to find a distribution partner that is able to build a successful route to market. In order to do this, brands need to invest more into managing and building the capabilities of their distributors. The problem is not scarcity of distributors, but rather a lack of skills and ability. Distributors in Africa operate more as traders or wholesalers, operating in what we call a passive system. This means they buy and sell stock cheaply, they don't specialise and don't endeavour to build new business. As African trade evolves, brands need real distributors who are proactive, build networks and build a route-to-market system. There are not enough distributors with this skill set today. 30 Oct 2015
Transnet reported a rise in interim revenues, driven by higher volumes at ports, particularly in the bulk and break-bulk sectors. In the six months ended September 2015, revenue rose 6.4% to R32.2bn. The company said this had been achieved despite a sharp downturn in global and domestic economic activity that had hampered its major customers. 30 Oct 2015
Let's do Biz