The above was presented at the annual SAAFF Congress for freight forwarders in Durban, South Africa.

During the women in transport panel discussion, it was noted that, while grossly under-represented, women brought about collaboration in supply chains. This ability stemmed from their inclination to communicate and connect with others. It was agreed that the supply chain can only move if a component of innovation was introduced. To this end, you have to think on your feet and find solutions.

Panellists concurred that, from a business ownership perspective, access to finance for women in the freight industry wasn’t easy. While the industry was capital intensive, it was not easy to find investors willing to invest in women-owned businesses. The belief that male-owned businesses are more successful persists.

Access to the market for women is still difficult, with many businesses built on relationships. It was said that there is a need to create and strive for relationship formation before you get business. Creating business relationships with men is not always easy for women; while men go out and play golf, women are often seeing to their family.

A key point made was that having international contacts in the freight forwarding business is advantageous. However, people in certain countries don’t take women as seriously as others, with the Middle East mentioned as a prime example.

It was agreed that the new B-BBEE Codes should help empower women and create opportunities for them to develop. The biggest mistake women make is to trying to replicate men. The panellists agreed that every individual brought something to the party and that it is fine to be a woman in a man’s world. Realising and accepting that is a sign of emotional intelligence, they chorused.

A suggestion was made that it was important to surround yourself with the best people possible. Power must be used in a very responsible manner, be it in networking, relationship building, or with the people around you. Take risks and manage the outcomes, they said. There is little support and no safety nets, they said, and all agreed that mistakes would be made. You need to be courageous while listening to others, sometimes necessitating taking a step back.

Panellists reasoned that hard work is never punished. They implored women in the industry to get involved, saying that people wanted success, but weren’t willing to get their hands dirty. According to the speakers, you cannot wait for the ship to come in; you need to swim to it. The industry needs to develop enquiring minds that could reproduce knowledge over and over, which leads to bigger and better achievements.