When Hendrik du Toit, the CEO of Ninety One, recently urged South Africans to rally against the criminality and corruption engulfing our society, he captured a national mood. His words rang true: We face a crisis of trust, integrity and leadership. But there is an uncomfortable extension to his argument. The problem is not only in the government and on our streets — it lives within our boardrooms and supply chains too.
A story from the frontlines of business compliance
Let me tell you a chilling story. In 2002, we had just launched the Load Accreditation Programme with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) — an initiative requiring companies to publish overloading data to protect rural roads. Across the oak table in his boardroom, the general manager of a large enterprise transporting goods to the port leaned forward, jabbed his finger at me and spat: “People like you should be shot. We live in a country with an illegitimate government. We will do as we please.”
But what happened next was even more revealing. His competitors pressured his company to fall in line. The Department of Transport, then recognising the industry’s self-regulation efforts, endorsed the Performance-Based Standards process. Today, that same company saves millions annually thanks to safer, more efficient Performance-Based Standards trucks — ironically, probably earning the general manager some handsome bonuses.
This story underscores a truth: left unchecked, business can slide into the same disregard for rules that is hollowing out the state. Millions of micro-decisions, taken in the shadows of supply chains, can either reinforce order, or accelerate chaos. Note: Performance-Based Standards vehicles conform to strict standards, like extra axles, but ultimately are able to carry greater payloads.
Extending Du Toit’s call
Du Toit is right: we must confront criminality head-on. But by extension, it is time for business to hold itself accountable too.
South Africa’s logistics crisis is not just a story of potholes, crumbling ports or broken railways. It is also about how companies manage their supply chains — speeding trucks, overloaded cargo, non-compliant drivers and opaque practices that destroy infrastructure, inflate costs and endanger lives (including those of our own families) are unfortunately everyday events.
And because the state lacks the capacity to enforce compliance at scale, business has to step into the breach. Pauli van Wyk, in an interview on her latest book on the subject of political corruption, commented on the role of business, saying: “Business needs to get its house in order.”
Introducing the Logistics Accountability Score
Earlier this year, with the support of the World Bank and CSIR the Logistics Accountability Score was launched at an event attended by the minister of transport in Johannesburg.
The Logistics Accountability Score is simple but powerful. It measures how responsibly cargo owners’ goods are transported by third-party providers. It monitors speeding, overloading, customs compliance, driver fitness and other key behaviours in near real time. Then, every month, it publishes a transparent “score” by route and commodity.
In short, it turns logistics into an accountability dashboard. Cargo owners can no longer plead ignorance of how their products reach the market, banks can no longer lend blindly to clients whose practices carry systemic risk, and the public can begin to trust that business is taking responsibility for its effect on the public.
Why it matters beyond trucks
The implications are profound:
- Economic competitiveness. Corridor inefficiencies already threaten South Africa’s export performance. Because road and rail are shared infrastructure, non-compliant businesses slow throughput for everyone. The Logistics Accountability Score can unlock billions in efficiency gains by raising the standard and reducing incidences that slow throughout.
- ESG alignment. Global investors demand proof of environmental and social responsibility. The Logistics Accountability Score provides a live ESG aligned metrics for logistics.
- Risk management. For banks and insurers, the Logistics Accountability Score is a data-driven way to assess client risk, from accident exposure to carbon liabilities.
- Nation-building. Perhaps most importantly, it shifts the culture. Instead of waiting for the state to enforce compliance, business steps forward, visibly committing to act responsibly in the public interest.
A call to action
So here is the invitation:
- To cargo owners — sign the Industry Charter for Sustainable Transport and adopt the Logistics Accountability Score. Make a public commitment that your products will move responsibly across South Africa’s roads.
- To banks and investors — integrate the Logistics Accountability Score into your lending and ESG frameworks. Use it to reward responsible clients and nudge laggards toward compliance.
Leading from the front
The Logistics Accountability Score is the next chapter in that story.
Hendrik du Toit has called us to rally against corruption and criminality. Let us answer by cleaning our own house by ensuring that business does not hide behind excuses or profit at the expense of the nation.
Accountability is not a slogan; it is a measurable, transparent practice and it starts with doing logistics better together.
It is time to lead, but what does that mean? First, it takes some humility to understand that one cannot perform on one’s own because all our infrastructure, ports and roads, are shared and we go as fast as the slowest user. Second, it takes vision to focus on a slightly longer-term benefit, and third, it takes courage to show the way by sticking one’s neck out.
The choice is ours. We can look away, hoping someone else will fix it, or we can lead from the front, setting a new standard for what responsible business looks like in South Africa. The Logistics Accountability Score offers us the tool. DM