South Africa’s African Women in Supply Chain Association (AWISCA) has joined forces with the Women in Logistics & Transport (WiLAT) organization from Côte D’Ivoire to bolster the logistics and supply chain industry through tailor-made entrepreneurial skills training. This collaboration aims to address skill shortages, provide mentorship and coaching, and enhance capacities across the African continent.

AWISCA, led by globally renowned supply chain expert Lebo Letsoalo, focuses on uplifting and empowering the Sub-Saharan Africa’s supply chain skills environment. The association aims to bridge capacity gaps and provide integrated solutions to pragmatic challenges. AWISCA also aims to elevate the supply chain curriculum in African higher education institutions to a globally competitive level.

Through their partnership with WiLAT, AWISCA will develop a program designed to unlock Africa’s potential through entrepreneurship, with a particular focus on the opportunities offered by the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement. The program will equip participants with the necessary entrepreneurial skills to leverage the AfCFTA agreement, benefiting both the youth and women across the continent.

In addition, the collaboration will establish a mentorship and coaching-based student exchange program. Students specializing in supply chain and logistics from Côte D’Ivoire will visit South Africa to engage in skills transfer and exchange missions, and the same opportunity will be offered to South African students. Emerging entrepreneurs in the field will also have access to the entrepreneurship training, with a strong emphasis on technical skills relevant to the AfCFTA agreement and enterprise and supplier development.

WiLAT Côte D’Ivoire, an organization dedicated to promoting the social status of women in the supply chain, logistics, and transport industries, will extend its programs to more women and countries on the continent through this partnership. Carine Toure Yemtia, Chairperson of WiLAT CI, expressed the organization’s commitment to developing advanced curricula, relevant policies, and empowering women in the sector, particularly in the Franco Nations.

Over the next three years, AWISCA and WiLAT Côte D’Ivoire will collaborate to implement their initiatives across several economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. They will also engage with other companies and organizations possessing the expertise required to achieve their objectives. AWISCA is already partnered with WiLAT SA and The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT SA) and plans to expand these partnerships to various African countries.

This collaboration between AWISCA and WiLAT signifies a significant step toward empowering women and youth in the supply chain and logistics sector across Africa. By providing tailored entrepreneurial skills training and fostering mentorship programs, they aim to create a skilled workforce capable of seizing opportunities offered by the AfCFTA agreement and driving economic growth on the continent.