Top CEOs say supply chain constraints, emerging technologies and regulatory risks pose the greatest threats to organisational growth in South Africa.
Results from the poll of South African CEOs were compared to 1,300 global executives. All respondents, according to KPMG, are in charge of businesses with annual revenues of at least $500 million, and a third of the surveyed businesses had revenues of at least $10 billion.KPMG found that South African CEOs are concerned about supply chain and procurement risks and how they might affect business over the next three years.
Domestically, South Africa has faced some unique challenges in terms of its supply chain. In October, workers at the national freight and logistics company Transnet went on strike –The transport group CEO, Portia Derby, said that backlogs caused at the ports and rail systems would require between six and nine weeks to clear. Instances of labour action have been compounded by crime syndicates that take advantage of the system and poor infrastructure.
Concern around procurement processes from South African CEOs comes as preferential procurement practices have come under scrutiny. With constant technological changes, CEOs are now scrambling to make sure that they have people with the necessary skills to manage the strategic and operational rollout of new developments.