Telematics company Netstar says in just five days three of its biggest clients lost out on more than 613 000km in delivery trips in due to the recent looting and unrest in the country.
On Wednesday, the company said the lost kilometres are equal to 15 trips around the globe. Between 10 and 16 July, the three clients suffered delays and cancellations of nearly 30 000 delivery trips.
The Altron subsidiary added that the three clients were most affected in KwaZulu-Natal, where 78% of their vehicles were brought to a halt. In Gauteng, the telematics company says the clients were "severely" impacted in the beginning of the unrest, but they have since been able to recover, losing only 15% of their delivery trips.
South Africa has begun its recovery after the spate of unrest in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng that resulted in supply chain disruption, stores and factory product losses and shutdowns, as well as national food security concerns.
Some companies have resorted to using private security escorts to move goods around the country and government has deployed 25 000 SA Defence Force personnel to assist in hotspot areas.
Netstar is closely monitoring the developments, said its managing director, Pierre Bruwer.
"Our ground teams and helicopters have been supporting our clients and the law enforcement agencies throughout the crisis. The trucking industry is the lifeblood of our economy as they play a critical role in getting goods to market and keeping the wheels of trade turning. We are hopeful that the situation will return to normal and that drivers can return to work safely," he said.