On the occasion of the Transport Evolution Expo & Forum 2025, we met with Adhemar Kambale, Vice President of Business Development and Sales for Powerfleet in Africa, a key technology player in fleet management and logistics safety across the continent.
With over 20 years of industry experience and a presence in more than 35 African countries, Adhemar shares his vision of a rapidly evolving logistics landscape in Africa, driven by artificial intelligence, regional integration, and the rise of cross-border trade.
In this exclusive interview, he outlines the challenges, the concrete innovations, and the strategic role Powerfleet plays in advancing sustainable mobility across the continent.
From your perspective, what makes Transport Evolution Africa such a strategic forum for Powerfleet Africa, particularly in terms of your continental business strategy?
First of all, thank you for the opportunity.
Transport Evolution Africa is a key platform for connecting with major players in the logistics and transport value chain — private operators as well as public decision-makers.
It’s a privileged space to engage in strategic dialogue with government institutions and reinforce our position as a leading African company in geolocation, fleet management, and mobility technologies.
With operations in over 35 countries, this forum offers the ideal opportunity to strengthen our presence and our impact across the continent.
We’re here to listen to the needs of the African market, showcase our latest innovations, and demonstrate how our technology aligns with the continent’s ambitions for sustainable mobility.
This is our first time participating in this event — but it certainly won’t be the last.
Adhemar, you’ve worked in this industry for more than 20 years. How do you view the transformations in the transport and logistics sector in Africa?
I’ve been working in this industry for over two decades, and our company – originally African – has been active in the sector for more than 20 years.
What we’re seeing is a deep transformation, fueled by technological advancements.
Twenty years ago, logistics in Africa was largely based on manual, fragmented, and low-tech processes.
Today, we speak of regional integration, onboard sensors, smart video systems, artificial intelligence, and real-time data processing.
These innovations allow us to, for example, monitor driver fatigue, prevent accidents, and significantly increase road safety.
Africa is experiencing strong economic momentum: inter-country trade is intensifying, including in landlocked nations, and intra-African commerce is growing.
This new reality calls for smarter, more connected, and secure logistics – and Powerfleet is at the heart of this transition, offering concrete solutions tailored to the continent’s unique challenges.
This year, Powerfleet is showcasing its Mobile Tech Hub at the exhibition. How does this installation reflect your strategy and your approach to customer relationships?
The Mobile Tech Hub is much more than a booth – it’s a mobile showcase of our customer-focused philosophy and our commitment to solving real-world challenges.
This interactive setup allows visitors to experience Powerfleet technology firsthand, test our solutions in simulated operational contexts, and see how they apply to ports, industrial warehouses, commercial fleets, and public institutions.
At Powerfleet, we co-develop solutions with our clients, designed to match their realities and constraints.
Our goal is always the same: to enhance safety, optimize performance, reduce operational costs, and deliver scalable, useful technology.
This Tech Hub perfectly illustrates our strategy of personalized support and our drive to create value at every step of the customer journey.
What are the major trends or client expectations shaping the transport-logistics landscape in 2025, and how is Powerfleet addressing them?
In 2025, customer expectations are evolving fast: transparency, safety, connectivity, and real-time control have become non-negotiables.
One of the key emerging technologies is in-AI vehicle video – camera systems that not only monitor driver behavior but also detect fatigue, distractions, or risky actions behind the wheel.
By identifying these early signals, we help prevent incidents and improve the overall safety of logistics operations.
But our innovation goes beyond that. Powerfleet also provides strategic data to governments about mileage covered by foreign vehicles operating within their borders – enabling better tax policy decisions and stronger cross-border regulation.
Combined with our analytical capabilities, this data also helps with infrastructure planning, especially in high-traffic zones.
In short, we’re helping transform a traditionally fragmented sector into a smarter, data-driven ecosystem that supports performance, compliance, and long-term sustainability.
Cross-border logistics and regional trade are at the heart of discussions this year. How does Powerfleet help companies operate safely and efficiently across diverse African markets?
We have a strong footprint in West, East and Central Africa, especially in port countries like Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo, which manage heavy cargo volumes coming from landlocked countries.
Powerfleet plays a key role in securing long-distance routes – sometimes spanning 2,000 to 3,000 kilometers – using onboard technologies that monitor vehicles, detect diversions or incidents, and facilitate smooth cross-border operations.
We also work closely with oil and fuel companies to secure long-haul fuel transport, which carries significant safety risks.
Our embedded solutions support safe delivery, real-time tracking, and optimized logistics in some of Africa’s most critical trade corridors.
Powerfleet is active in over 40 African countries. How do you manage such diverse regulatory environments?
That’s a vital question. Africa comprises 54 countries, each with its own laws, priorities, and operational realities.
To address this diversity, our strategy is built on strong and long-term local partnerships.
In every country where we operate, we collaborate with local companies that deeply understand the regulatory environment and on-the-ground challenges.
This model not only ensures regulatory compliance, but also promotes local job creation, technology transfer, and meaningful capacity building.
Some of our partners have worked with us for over 20 years, which speaks to the strength and trust in these relationships.
We also invest in ongoing training, ensuring our local partners have the tools, expertise, and autonomy to deploy Powerfleet solutions effectively — always adapted to each market’s specific context.
What message would you like to share with transport authorities, logistics companies, and potential partners?
Powerfleet is more than a technology provider — we are a strategic partner committed to shaping the future of mobility in Africa.
Our mission goes beyond selling products: we work closely with governments, transport authorities, fleet operators, and industrial players to co-create lasting value.
We’re already collaborating with leading vehicle manufacturers to integrate our solutions directly at the factory level.
Looking ahead, we want every African country to benefit from this same level of security, innovation, and connectivity — to build smarter, safer, greener, and more resilient transportation systems.
Our message is clear: Let’s build a logistics network worthy of Africa’s ambitions — one that meets today’s challenges while laying the foundation for tomorrow’s infrastructure.
