A day in the life of...

Bongumenzi Zondo
Trainee Logistics Engineer
Age: 25
Based in: Durban


Why do you do this job?
When I completed my studies, Safcor Panalpina gave me a wonderful opportunity to join the company. This is not just a great opportunity but this is a company where my qualifications are appreciated and hence I am making a difference. I love working in an environment where my presence is appreciated and valued; this job has given me just that. What I love about this job is that everyday presents a new challenge hence it keeps me on my toes, I enjoy waking up in the morning knowing exactly that there is a new challenge waiting for me. The company is all about growth and I believe that I perfectly fit in it as I always want to grow. I like this job as I am not just part of the organisation but I am part of the organisation’s plans too. Lastly the environment here is very much relaxed hence I enjoy every moment.

What training did you receive?
I studied at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and I did a degree in BCOM supply chain management, graduated in 2010. I have also completed my BCOM honours degree in supply chain management at the very same institution, graduating in April 2011

What happens 9-5?
Everyday brings on a new challenge which makes me to be fascinated about going to work. As much as I spend most of the time at the office, we often go out to meet with the clients. Also the job that I am doing allows me to work with various channels or departments. What’s important about my job is that I seek for opportunities where they exist hence I have to be alert everyday.

What's the upside?
At the university I have only learnt the supply chain (theory) of which it gave me a solid foundation. Here at Safcor Panalpina I am able to put the theory into practice and supply chain is even more interesting when you are practising it. Here I work with everyone hence I have an overall overview of the company. This then gave me an opportunity to fully understand the entire supply chain process. Having understood the company’s entire supply chain process, my task will be to look for the opportunities that prevail and take the supply chain to the next level.

What personality traits do you think you have that make you good at your job?

Firstly, I think it’s my ability to work smart and being able to be innovative. I have a lot of unusual ideas which makes me to be more creative. I have the self-discipline and apart from that I always ensure that the goals that I have set for myself; I achieve them. Further, I am very much cooperative and I enjoy working with people.

What's the downside? 
Even though I have the knowledge of the supply chain, the difficulty that I have experienced is trying to link what I have studied with what exactly happens in the organization. Safcor Panalpina is in the service industry and most of the supply chain knowledge that I have is for the manufacturing supply chain as opposed to the service supply chain. The only major challenge that I experienced initially was to incorporate the manufacturing supply chain knowledge into the service supply chain, and I have successfully done that hence everything became clearer.

Who are your role models or mentors?
My mentor and someone that I look up to is the general manager Mr veitch. He has a lot of experience in supply chain hence working closer to him is a bonus.

Do you make enough money?
The focus is not on making money, however it is on learning as much as I can about the shipping industry and the company as a whole. Waking up in the morning to do what you love and enjoy is priceless.

What will you do next?
At the moment it’s all about learning and growing everyday. I believe I have much to offer in this organisation and in the supply chain field. From here, I see myself contributing a lot in supply chain and playing a big role in simplifying the supply chain.

Hanno Roelofse
Trainee Logistics Engineer
Age: 26
Based in: Cape Town


Why do you do this job?
I love to understand how the different parts of a business’ supply chain function and to find ways to make them more efficient. By being a logistics engineer at Safcor Panalpina, I’ll be exposed to many different types of supply chains and, therefore, many different kinds of improvement opportunities.

What training did you receive?
I was shown how every department of the company function - from initial sales contact, operations, credit control to maintaining the client-relationship by means of client services. To compliment this, the latest incoterms were presented and a self-study course was provided.

What happens 9 to 5?
An average morning starts with a large cup of coffee, checking emails for priority tasks and then making the necessary changes to my schedule. After this, I would go to the department where I am situated for the particular week and observe how they perform their duties. This is followed by a questionnaire to garner a more in-depth understanding about the department. In the afternoon, I would typically work on a project. The projects can include anything from facilitating in-house improvements to a client supply chain analysis.

What's the upside?
You get to gain a lot of experience about the supply chains of various types of industries and, although a part of the work involves the analysis of the work on a solo basis, most of the work will involve interacting with people.

What personality traits do you think you have that make you good at your job?
A logistics engineer needs to be very analytic in his/her approach to problem solving. Without this trait, the engineer will not have sufficient tenacity to delve deep enough into the problem to find viable solutions. Excellent interpersonal skills are also a must because you won’t be able to identify opportunities if you aren’t able to ask the right questions at the right time.

What's the downside?
The suggested improvements will require a change in the way that a business operates and people tend to be resistant to change. Change management can be quite frustrating at times.
Project deadlines means that after-hours work is sometimes required. Although, if you enjoy your work, is there really something like after-hours?

Who are your role models or mentors?
My role models are Richard Branson, Warren Buffet and all the self-made businesspeople of the world. Their skill at finding opportunities, where others don’t, inspires me to always dig a little deeper into a problem to find even more opportunities.

Do you make enough money?
I make enough money to create a decent living for myself. There is always room for more, but as a trainee, one ought not be too demanding. A salary increases as your value to the company increases.

What will you do next?
In the short term, I will complete the training program by learning about all the facets of the supply chain business. In the mid to long term, I will gain experience in supply chain management, finding opportunities and determining how to convert the opportunities to real gains for the companies involved.



Hlengiwe Masuku
Trainee Logistics Engineer
Based in: Cape Town



Why do you do this job?
I’m doing this job because I like the diversity of this industry, and because of this there’s opportunity to learn more about other sectors. It’s also a great platform for gaining experience and learning what the industry of logistics and supply chain really is about.

What training did you receive?
I have a Bcomm degree from Stellenbosch University, majoring in financial accounting and logistics management. My degree has helped with the basic understanding of what the industry is about, but I have learnt so much more since joining the company. I’ve learnt about customs rules and regulations, incoterms and how they play such an important in determining the extent to which the freight forwarder or agent is involved with a specific shipment.

What happens 9-5?
Work starts at 8am but I usually get there a little before that to check my emails and schedule for the day. Usually I have to be at a specific department learning what they do, how they do it and why they do it. Lunch is at 1pm, which is also the time I catch up on some social networking in the form of Facebook, and also just chat with some colleagues. After lunch I’ll work on a specific project I have or continue in the department I’ve been placed in for that week.

What's the upside?
The upside is that I get on the job training. By spending time within each department I get to also see which part of the business I enjoy the most and would like to potentially be more involved in. The upside of my job is that I get to learn and gain knowledge about industries I never thought I would be part of: from automotive to agriculture…one can never get bored!

What personality traits do you think you have that make you good at your job?
I have good people skills and I also thoroughly enjoy working with people. In this industry you must be able to work with people and have excellent communication skills because you are always dealing either with potential clients or committed clients. You work with people with different personalities and idiosyncrasies constantly and you must be able to relate to all of them… well most of them at least.

What's the downside?
The downside is that there’s a lot of computer work and by computer work I mean using complex computer programmes. Computers and their software programmes are not my forte, so that’s panning out to be my biggest challenge. We also have to do a lot of presentations, more than I ever thought I would have to do!

Who are your role models or mentors?
There’s a couple of women within the company that I really admire. Their professionalism, love for their job and assertiveness and confidence is truly something to live up to and to aspire to. The supply chain and logistics industries are still very much dominated by men. It’s refreshing to see women that are great at what they do and still remain feminine

Do you make enough money?
Since this is my first job the remuneration I receive is more than I had originally anticipated. So do I make enough money? Yes, at the moment I do make enough money to support my lifestyle. 

What will you do next?
I hope to continue working for Safcor Panalpina for the next couple of years as a logistics engineer, gaining experience and adding more value to the company and our clients. The sky’s the limit, and I believe that this company offers a great platform to reach it!


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