Bidvest International Logistics leaders argue that future-ready supply chains will depend as much on people, compliance and governance as they do on greener technology
Seen Here: Harry Dimo, HR Director at Bidvest International Logistics, and Lawrence Aldworth, National Compliance and Risk Manager at BIL, emphasise the need for South Africa’s logistics sector to redefine sustainability ahead of 2030 — putting people, innovation, compliance, governance and resilience alongside environmental responsibility. Photo Credit: Supplied
JOHANNESBURG, 10 September 2026 — Sustainability in South Africa’s logistics sector can no longer be reduced to carbon emissions, electric vehicles and environmental reporting.
As the industry prepares for 2030, the businesses most likely to remain competitive will be those that treat sustainability as a broader business discipline — one that encompasses people, technology, compliance, governance, resilience and environmental responsibility.
That is the view of Harry Dimo, HR Director at Bidvest International Logistics (BIL), and Lawrence Aldworth, National Compliance and Risk Manager at BIL, who argue that the logistics sector needs to broaden its understanding of what it means to build a sustainable organisation.
The argument comes at a time when logistics businesses face simultaneous pressures from technological change, shifting customer expectations, regulatory requirements, skills shortages and the transition towards lower-carbon supply chains.
For companies operating at the heart of supply chains, the implications extend well beyond their own operations. Logistics providers increasingly influence how efficiently, responsibly and resiliently goods move through the economy.
Beyond the carbon conversation
Environmental sustainability remains an important component of the logistics agenda, particularly given the industry’s reliance on transport, warehousing, energy and other resource-intensive activities.
Bidvest itself identifies freight operations and other businesses with extensive operational networks as major contributors to the Group’s environmental footprint, while its sustainability framework incorporates environmental, social and governance considerations.
But Dimo and Aldworth believe the environmental conversation should not overshadow the equally important social and governance dimensions of sustainability.
“When people hear sustainability, they immediately think environmental. But sustainability is much broader than that. It’s about environmental, social and governance principles working together to create a business that is built to last,” says Aldworth.
This broader approach places organisational capability at the centre of the sustainability debate.
A logistics company may reduce emissions and improve resource efficiency, but if it lacks appropriately skilled employees, robust compliance systems or effective governance, its long-term resilience remains vulnerable.
Preparing people for the logistics industry of tomorrow
For Dimo, the starting point is people.
Automation, artificial intelligence, data analytics and digitalisation are transforming the way supply chains operate. While these technologies promise greater efficiency and visibility, they are also changing the skills required across the logistics workforce.
“We’re assessing the competencies required now and in the future so we can begin upskilling employees for where the business is going, not just where it is today,” says Dimo.
This represents a shift away from treating training as a response to immediate skills gaps towards a more strategic approach to workforce planning.
Future-ready logistics businesses will need employees capable of working alongside increasingly sophisticated technologies rather than viewing automation and AI purely as substitutes for human labour.
That means continuous learning, reskilling and adaptability are becoming strategic assets.
Bidvest’s broader sustainability strategy similarly identifies people as a critical business enabler and places emphasis on learning, development and employee wellbeing. Its 2025 sustainability reporting recorded 5,840 participants in learnerships, internships and apprenticeships, with 912 subsequently absorbed into the organisation.
Compliance as a source of value
Compliance is another area where the logistics sector’s traditional approach is being challenged.
Often viewed primarily as a regulatory requirement or cost of doing business, effective compliance can instead strengthen operational resilience, reduce risk and protect the interests of customers.
For a logistics provider entrusted with high-value goods moving through complex supply chains, weaknesses in governance can have consequences extending well beyond a compliance finding.
“Good compliance management reduces risk, which ultimately reduces cost. It also creates value for customers by protecting their products while they’re in our care,” says Aldworth.
This places compliance within a broader commercial framework.
Strong controls can help organisations identify risks earlier, improve accountability and protect relationships with customers and supply-chain partners.
Bidvest describes integrity, accountability and responsible stewardship as core elements of its governance approach, supported by formal risk-assessment and mitigation processes.
ESG is becoming a competitive issue
The changing expectations of customers are also raising the stakes.
Companies increasingly want logistics partners that can demonstrate responsible environmental practices, ethical governance, sound labour practices and credible social-impact commitments.
As a result, ESG performance is moving from being primarily a reporting consideration towards becoming part of how companies compete for and retain business.
For logistics providers, this means sustainability credentials can increasingly influence procurement decisions, partnerships and access to future commercial opportunities.
Businesses that fail to keep pace risk more than reputational damage. They could find themselves less competitive in supply chains where customers increasingly demand evidence of responsible business practices.
Bidvest’s own ESG framework incorporates measurable commitments across environmental performance, people, supply-chain transformation and governance, reflecting this increasingly integrated approach.
Technology needs people — not the other way around
The industry’s technological transformation makes the relationship between innovation and people particularly important.
Artificial intelligence and automation can improve productivity, visibility and decision-making, but technology alone does not create a future-ready organisation.
Employees need to understand how these tools work, where they add value and how they should be used responsibly.
Dimo argues that leadership can establish the strategic direction, but sustainable transformation ultimately depends on employees being equipped and empowered to execute that vision.
“Leadership can define the vision for the future, but it is our people who bring that vision to life every day. Preparing them for what comes next is one of the most important investments we can make,” he says.
This approach also creates opportunities for employees to contribute ideas and identify operational improvements from within the business.
A workforce that understands both the technology and the commercial objectives of the organisation can become an important source of innovation.
Building resilient supply chains
The broader definition of sustainability also has implications for resilience.
South Africa’s logistics sector operates within a complex environment characterised by infrastructure constraints, changing regulations, technological disruption and shifting customer requirements.
Future resilience therefore requires organisations to anticipate disruption rather than simply respond to it.
That means investing in people, strengthening governance, improving operational processes and using technology to increase visibility and efficiency.
It also means understanding sustainability as a long-term business model rather than a collection of individual projects.
“Investing in future capability is every bit as important as investing in greener technology,” the BIL executives argue.
The 2030 test
As the logistics sector moves towards 2030, the most successful businesses may ultimately be those that resist treating sustainability as a standalone corporate initiative.
Instead, sustainability will increasingly need to be embedded in recruitment and skills development, technology strategies, compliance frameworks, customer relationships, environmental management and corporate governance.
The objective is not simply to create logistics businesses with lower emissions.
It is to build organisations capable of adapting to technological change, protecting their people, managing risk, meeting increasingly sophisticated customer expectations and continuing to create value through periods of uncertainty.
Bidvest’s broader corporate strategy reflects this integrated philosophy, combining people development, innovation, responsible stewardship and ESG commitments with its performance-driven business model.
For South Africa’s logistics industry, therefore, the sustainability question for 2030 is becoming much bigger than carbon.
The real test will be whether companies have the people, governance, technology and resilience required to keep moving — whatever the future brings.
