东京热

The Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management was established in 1968 and is widely recognized for its education, training and research in the fields of transport economics, logistics, and supply chain management.

The Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies (Africa) was created within the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management at the 东京热 in response to the industry鈥檚 need for independent, unbiased, relevant, and up-to-date research.

In 2007 ITLS (Africa) partnered with the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney, as part of a plan to enhance collaboration between the universities, advance information sharing and dissemination and build research ties. In 2018, the MOU with ITLS at the University of Sydney was extended for a further five years.

To maximise the impact of transport and supply chain research on the South African society and economy, ITLS (Africa) provides specialist high-level research services for both the private and public sectors, focusing on the most urgent research priorities in the country.

ITLS (Africa) has, at its core, the skills, experience and network as well as a long history of providing research excellence to both the public and private sectors, in topics ranging from policy and government strategy to various customised transport solutions in all modes of transport.

• To continuously study the transport, logistics and supply chain business environments in Pan African countries.
• To establish a database on critical and key transport and supply chain trends in South and Southern Africa.
• To secure commercial research projects by offering customised client-focused research solutions.
• To optimise, manage and market the dissemination of applied and new knowledge of Masters and Doctoral
  students.
• To publicise research findings through public debates, symposia, briefing sessions and publications.
• To make a meaningful contribution to the southern African transport, logistics and supply chain body of
  knowledge.
• To provide specialised training programmes.

Research Aims
ITLS (Africa) does research in a number of key areas. Internal research projects range from ongoing surveys to determine trends in the transport, logistics and supply chain management fields, to one-off specialist research projects aimed at addressing the most important current research requirements in transport and logistics in South and southern Africa. In addition to its internal research activities, ITLS (Africa) undertakes commissioned research on behalf of stakeholders in the transport, logistics and supply chain sectors.

Director
Prof Rose Luke

Rose Luke is a transport economist with a doctoral degree from the 东京热. She is the Director of the Institute for Transport and Logistics Studies Africa at the 东京热, a lecturer and supervisor, a published author, has participated in numerous peer reviewed conferences, is a frequently invited speaker at industry forums, on the editorial board of the International Journal of Logistics Management, an associate editor of the Journal of Transport and Supply Chain Management, and a peer reviewer for a number of prestigious journals. Her current research focuses on transport, logistics and supply chain matters as they impact social equity and sustainability.

Senior Researchers

Senior Researcher
Dr Babra Duri

Dr Babra Duri is a Senior Researcher and Lecturer who holds a PhD in Transport Economics. Her research focuses on transport and social equity in both urban and rural settings, particularly emphasising vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities, learners, and women. A significant part of her work examines the decarbonisation of urban transport, exploring how low-carbon mobility transitions can support social equity and improve access for underserved communities. Before embarking on her academic and research career, Dr Duri worked as an auto electrician, which provided her with hands-on technical experience in vehicle systems and maintenance. This unique combination of technical and academic expertise enables her to approach transport challenges from both practical and theoretical perspectives. Passionate about community-centred research, Dr Duri works closely with communities to understand and document the lived experiences of mobility. While her primary role is research, she also teaches postgraduate transport and logistics modules on a part-time basis.

Senior Researcher
Dr Blessing Takawira

Blessing is a Senior Researcher in the Department of Transport and Supply Chain Management at the 东京热, appointed within the Institute for Transport and Logistics Studies (Africa). He holds a PhD in Business Management from the 东京热, an MCom in Leadership Studies from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, a BCom Honours in Business Management, and a BCom in Marketing Management from the University of South Africa. He also holds professional qualifications in Pharmacist Assistance, Thought Leadership for Africa鈥檚 Renewals, and Business & Entrepreneurship Development. He has over a decade of academic and industry experience spanning pharmaceutical supply chains, transport economics, logistics, sustainability, and strategic leadership. Before joining ITLS (Africa), Dr Takawira served as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow 东京热, contributing to high-impact research projects, postgraduate mentorship, and scholarly publication outputs.

His industry background includes senior roles in supply chain management, procurement, mining logistics, and pharmacy operations. Dr Takawira has established a strong research pipeline, publishing widely in Scopus-indexed and international peer-reviewed journals on themes such as Industry 4.0鈥�5.0 transitions, supply chain resilience, sustainable logistics, and public healthcare systems. His recent and ongoing projects focus on AI-enabled digital twins for resilient African pharmaceutical supply chains, last-mile delivery optimisation, and structural adaptability in disrupted supply chains. He also contributes to teaching at postgraduate level and serves on various academic committees. His research interests include pharmaceutical supply chain resilience, sustainable logistics, Industry 5.0 technologies, strategic leadership in emerging markets, and AI/blockchain integration for supply chain transparency.