In most developed countries, food and medicine are a given. In Africa, where grid electricity is often unavailable or unreliable, temperature control infrastructure is typically inadequate or non-existent.This means that nearly 50% of all the food produced in Africa is lost due to an inefficient cold chain, while at least one in five children do not receive all their necessary vaccinations.According to Sean Petzer, operations manager for Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands at TOWER Cold Chain, the need for cost-effective, high-quality cold chain solutions is of critical importance in Africa. “Addressing the supply and cold chain issues is imperative. It is, in fact, often around the last mile where the biggest cold chain challenges lie.”Petzer says a well-managed logistics system is just as important as having the necessary cold store facilities. Hence, the African TOWER team are taking a different approach: instead of just renting out containers, they are now developing on-site solutions for customers whereby the entire management of the container is handled. “This ensures the cold chain is not broken at all and that the box is working optimally at all times. Utimately, it reduces the per litre cost for the customer and they can focus on their core business rather than deal with the logistics of maintaining boxes and ensuring they are handled correctly and that the temperature is at its optimum.”It is not just in Africa where the cold chain has its challenges. According to the IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science, $35 billion is lost annually as a result of failures in temperature-controlled logistics.Petzer points out that in the current economic environment, cost remains critical – making reusable temperature-controlled containers a popular alternative.
