Fresh future Building export
infrastructure for
perishables
1st April 2025
Fresh future: Building export infrastructure for perishables
The journey for African perishables—fruits, vegetables, and meat—has never been more turbulent. From disrupted sea freight due to Red Sea attacks to gaps in cold chain, rail, and handling capacities, exporters face complex hurdles.
Perishable Logistics Africa 2025 will focus on overcoming these barriers, uniting key stakeholders to craft sustainable solutions for African agri-exports. Let’s create a resilient logistics ecosystem to move Africa’s fresh produce from farms to global markets efficiently and reliably.
250+
Expert Speakers
400+
Exporters
2000+
Delegates
100+
Networking Hours
Partners
Gold Partner
Exhibiting Partner
Logistics Partner
Supporting Partners
Industry Partners
Speakers
Agenda
0800 to 0900 hrs
Registration
0900 to 0905 hrs
Inauguration
0905 to 0915 hrs
Welcome
Reji John, Editor, Logistics Update Africa
0915 to 1015 hrs
Business Session 1
Diversifying markets, modes to navigate global disruptions
Geopolitical crises, such as the Red Sea conflict, have highlighted the vulnerabilities of relying on limited trade routes and markets. This panel will explore how exporters can diversify their target markets and transport modes. Panelists will discuss strategies for entering new markets like China, India, and the Middle East, and the innovations needed to make these transitions cost-effective and sustainable.
1015 to 1030 hrs
Presentation
The drama of cargo claims for Africa exporters: Biggest myths and costly realities.
In an age of fast delivery times and vertically integrated supply chains, the pursuit of cargo claims remains a major headache for exporters. In this session, find out why so many claims fail, why some exporters no longer insure cargo, and how such losses can be minimised in the future.
1030 to 1100 hrs
Coffee Break
1100 to 1130 hrs
Up on stage
1130 to 1230 hrs
Business Session 2
Connecting cold chain infra from packhouses to ports
The journey of perishables begins at the farm and ends on retail shelves, with cold chain infrastructure playing a critical role. This discussion will address the gaps in cold chain systems, including insufficient packhouses near farms, inadequate pre-cooling, and fragmented transportation networks. Industry experts will share insights into creating seamless connectivity between production centres and ports, ensuring optimal product quality and minimising waste during transit.
1230 to 1330 hrs
Lunch
1330 to 1430 hrs
Business Session 3
Lessons from international trade to compete on global stage
African exporters face stiff competition from Latin American countries like Peru, which have invested heavily in logistics and infrastructure to reduce transit times and improve market access. This panel will draw lessons from global players, examining how African exporters can scale production, improve quality, and adopt best practices to enhance competitiveness in key markets such as Europe and Asia.
1430 to 1445 hrs
Presentation
1445 to 1515 hrs
Coffee Break
1515 to 1545 hrs
Up on stage
1545 to 1645 hrs
Business Session 4:
Logistics for rescue: Balancing costs, speed, and quality
The balance between cost, speed, and quality remains a perennial challenge for the perishable logistics industry. With freight costs soaring and limited availability of air freight for perishables, exporters must find innovative ways to ensure timely delivery without compromising product quality. Panelists will discuss solutions like controlled-atmosphere containers, dynamic route planning, and collaborative strategies between shippers and logistics service providers to optimise outcomes.
1645 to 1700 hrs
Closing Remarks
Testimonials
"Loved it. Liked the topics. Very insightful."
"Fantastic experience. Enjoyed the time here. Met a lot of people. Found great business opportunities. Informative and helpful."
“Nice event. Good interaction. Great networking.”
"Great interviews. Fantastic experience. Will definitely come back next year. Excited about future of African perishable logistics"
"Love how the event covers the entire value chain—from farmers to customers. Discussions around digital solutions, sustainability and overcoming obstacles drive value. Great platform to come together and share insights."
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Organiser
Logistics Update Africa (LUA) is a bi-monthly magazine that brings the most credible news, views and stories of and from Africa about the continent’s evolving transport and logistics industries.
LUA is one of the three publications from STAT Media Group, the earliest business to business trade publication in transport and logistics in the world. LUA gives an insight of the untapped potential of Africa’s economy and its unexplored and emerging markets that are eventually opening to the world.
LUA has a circulation of 13,000 copies and readership of close to 41,000 industry professionals from air cargo, sea freight, rail & road transport industries within Africa and Europe. LUA is available online at www.logupdateafrica.com and it is updated regularly with the latest transport and logistics news from around the world.
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Venue
Emara Ole-Sereni
Emara Ole-Sereni,
18187, Nairobi, Kenya
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