Understanding the effect of skilled labour resource shortages on supply chain sustainability: a review of the logistics skills gap in southern Africa

Purpose:
Southern Africa relies on trade to generate wealth to fund its economic and social development. This needs efficient and effective supply chains with high standards of customer service. So, it is important to understand the levels of service provision, the factors that influence them and the impact of any logistics skill shortages. Previous research identified ‘limited management education’ as one of the top barriers to logistics development in Namibia and used views from retailers and key stakeholders to understand the current service levels. This research ranks the logistics skills gaps identified by key stakeholders and determines if there is a correlation between the logistics development barriers, levels of service and supply chain sustainability.
Research approach:
The southern African logistics industry, as illustrated by Namibia and South Africa, is examined using a critical realism approach through interviews and surveys. Candidates were purposefully targeted to give broad spectrum coverage of stakeholders rather than attempting to achieve a statistical sample. The research also draws on previous datasets to determine if logistics skills gaps are consistent across the region .
Findings and Originality:
Research showed that there is a similarity between skills requirements and shortages in Namibia / South Africa and that this has an adverse impact on customer service.
The work has originality because previous research on skills gaps in southern Africa countries has been limited.
Research Impact:
The output will create an awareness of the magnitude of the skill shortage problem thus laying the foundation for further academic investigation into the issue.
Practical Impact:
The identification of skills gaps may prompt decision makers to address them to help generate the trade that is needed for the development of the southern African region.
Keywords: Supply chain sustainability, logistics skills shortages, southern Africa, human resources