Browsing by Author "Freiboth, Heinrich W."

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    An analysis of the influence of logistics activities on the export cold chain of temperature sensitive fruit through the Port of Cape Town
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2015-09) Goedhals-Gerber, Leila L.; Haasbroek, Laura; Freiboth, Heinrich W.; Van Dyk, Esbeth
    Background: South Africa exports a large variety of different fruit types and cultivars worldwide. Yet, there is concern in the South African fruit industry that too much fruit and money is lost each year due to breaks along the fresh fruit export cold chain. Objective: The objective of this article was to identify the influence of logistics activities on breaks along the South African fruit export cold chain. The focus is specifically on temperature sensitive fruit, exported in refrigerated containers to Europe and the United Kingdom through the Port of Cape Town. This supply chain was selected as this was the most accessible supply chain in terms of retrieving the necessary temperature data. Method: The cold chain was investigated from the cold store, through all segments, until the Port of Cape Town. Temperature data collected with temperature monitoring devices from different fruit export supply chains of grapes, plums and pome fruit (apples and pears) were analysed to identify the percentage of temperature breaks and the length of temperature breaks that occur at each segment of the cold chain. Results: The results show that a large number of breaks are experienced along South Africa’s fruit export cold chain, specifically at the interface between the cold store and the truck. In addition, the findings also show that there has been an improvement in the number of breaks experienced in the Port of Cape Town following the implementation of the NAVIS and Refcon systems. Conclusion: This article concludes by providing the fruit industry with areas that require addressing to improve operational procedures along the fruit export cold chain to help ensure that the fruit arrives at its final destination at optimal quality.
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    The decarbonisation of transport logistics : a South African case study
    (Unisa Press, 2018-10-09) Goedhals-Gerber, Leila L.; Freiboth, Heinrich W.; Havenga, Jan H.
    South Africa is currently one of the "dirtiest" economies in the world in terms of carbon emissions. The South African economy is heavily dependent on energy-intensive industries, such as mining and primary minerals beneficiation, which in turn rely on fossil fuels as a source of energy. Sustainability is still a relatively new concept in South Africa, but awareness is growing, and there are several on-going initiatives aimed at reducing the country's total energy consumption. The objective of this paper is to apply the TIMBER framework to assess current transport decarbonisation activities in South Africa. The article discusses a limited field survey of ten important logistics experts in South Africa to establish whether the findings of the researchers are similar to the perceptions within the logistics sector of major industries in South Africa. This paper concludes by providing possible solutions for reducing carbon emissions in South Africa's logistics industry.
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    Investigating supply chain sustainability in South African organisations
    (AOSIS, 2018) Niehaus, Gabrielle; Freiboth, Heinrich W.; Goedhals-Gerber, Leila L.
    Background: The need for sustainable supply chain management has become a necessity given the growing impact of climate change and global warming. The South African (SA) government is planning to implement a carbon tax in the future, which will present financial challenges for organisations already facing social and environmental difficulties. Objectives: The main objective of this article was to investigate the current sustainability reporting practices in supply chains of SA organisations. The focus was specifically on the supply chain sustainability practices of organisations listed in selected sectors on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). A secondary objective was to investigate preparation efforts by SA companies for the impending carbon tax. Method: Data collected from sustainability and integrated annual reports of organisations in the sample were analysed using non-parametric statistical tests to compare sectors on the JSE and to compare companies listed on the socially responsible investment (SRI) Index with those that are not. Results: The results showed that there is insufficient data for some of the sectors; however, there are differences in the supply chain and sustainability practices for the remaining sectors. There are also differences in these practices between SRI and non-SRI companies. The research also showed that companies are discussing important concepts relating to the implementation of the impending carbon tax. Research impact: SA organisations need to increase their focus on sustainable supply chain practices. Further investigation into the preparation efforts of companies to reduce their emissions and/or footprint and mitigate the impact of the impending carbon tax is necessary.
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    Investigating temperature breaks in the summer fruit export cold chain : a case study
    (AOSIS Publishing, 2013-11) Freiboth, Heinrich W.; Goedhals-Gerber, Leila L.; Van Dyk, F. Esbeth; Dodd, Malcolm C.
    There is concern in the South African fruit industry that a large amount of fruit and money is lost every season due to breaks in the fruit export cold chain. The possibility of a large percentage of losses in a significant sector of the economy warranted further investigation. This article attempted to highlight some of the possible problem areas in the cold chain, from the cold store to the port, by analysing historic temperature data from different fruit export supply chains of apples, pears and grapes. In addition, a trial shipment of apples was used to investigate temperature variation between different pallets in the same container. This research has added value to the South African fruit industry by identifying the need to improve operational procedures in the cold chain.