Samsung executive to head Tapa SA

JOY ORLEK
IT’S official. The South African chapter of the global Transported Asset Protection Association (Tapa) has been set up. Heading up the SA body is Deon Pillay of Samsung, with vice chairman John Nelson of TNT Express. A further six committee members have been appointed to put in place the foundations of the association and attract a membership base. Marius Louw of Special Cargo Handling and Richard Mallabone of Expeditors International are heading up the membership drive, and anyone interested in more information can email marius@schjia.com. “We’ve already signed up five companies and have had plenty of enquiries from interested parties,” says Louw. “We’ve scheduled a committee meeting for April and will hold a general meeting, open to Tapa members in the industry, in May this year. “Once people see the tangible benefits, we are optimistic that they will come on board.” Established in 1999, Tapa is an association of security professionals and related business partners who have come together to address the emerging security threats facing them in the supply chain. While Tapa initially focused purely on technology companies, it has now broadened its scope to include the likes of the pharmaceutical and designer clothing industries who share the same problem of losses in the transport and supply chain. The driving force worldwide is the manufacturing and distribution industry who are the big losers in incidents of hijacking and theft, and the appointment of Deon Pillay of Samsung to head up the local chapter is a positive signal that South Africa is moving in the right direction.