Companies across the Global South are losing months of operational time and millions of dollars in revenue. They are subject to long-term customer trust issues as supply chain disruption becomes a permanent feature of global trade. Those are the findings of new research from DP World, the multi-national ports and marine logistics company. Their “Without Logistics Global Report” finds that firms in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and the Gulf face far more severe disruption than peers in Europe and North America.
The report is based on a survey of 680 senior logistics and supply chain decision-makers across eight industries and nine regions. The key finding of “Without Logistics” is that disruption is no longer episodic. Instead, it has become embedded in daily operations. While nearly all regions report rising disruption, its impact is deeply uneven, with companies in growth markets suffering longer downtime, higher costs and greater reputational damage than firms in advanced economies.
Clear geographical fault line
The data reveals a sharp geographical divide in how logistics disruption is experienced. In years affected by major disruption, more than a month of operational capacity is lost by 83% of firms in Sub-Saharan Africa. The equivalent figure is 72% in MENA and 61% in the GCC. By comparison, 50% of firms in North America report losses of that scale, alongside 41% in Germany and 36% in the UK. These losses, say the report, translate directly into weakened productivity and delayed growth.
Disruption in stressed regions is systemic rather than exceptional, argue the authors. Businesses are increasingly forced to plan around expected downtime, rather than treating it as an unforeseen shock. DP World says this structural imbalance risks widening the performance gap between regions unless resilience improves. A case in point may be the difficulties faced in Sri Lanka, as reported in depth by WorldCargo News, where project delays and equipment procurement stifle growth.
Financial pressures
Nearly half of companies in the GCC (the Gulf Cooperation Council, an economic coalition of six Middle Eastern countries) estimate annual disruption costs of one million dollars or more. In MENA, the figure stands at 43%. In the UK, just 17% of firms report disruption costs at that level. Between 80% and 95% of respondents globally say logistics disruption has increased customer complaints. However, the highest levels are reported in MENA, where every surveyed firm cites increased complaints, and in the GCC, where the figure reaches 98%.
Damage to brand perception and partner relationships shows even sharper contrasts. Reputational harm with supply chain partners is reported by 78% of firms in Sub-Saharan Africa, 73% in the GCC and 72% in MENA. That compares with around half of firms in the UK, Germany and North America. DP World describes these markets as “stressed corridors”, where repeated disruption compounds commercial and reputational risk.
High-frequency disruption
The report highlights significant variation between industries. High-volume sectors such as retail, healthcare and perishables operate under near-constant disruption. Retail and healthcare companies each experience up to 18,000 disruption events annually. “This data shows that supply chain disruption is no longer a temporary shock,” said Beat Simon, Chief Operating Officer – Logistics at DP World. “It is a recurring drain on growth, profitability and customer trust. In some regions, businesses are effectively planning around the loss of weeks or months of productive time each year.”
In contrast, automotive supply chains experience fewer disruption events, but with far greater consequences when they occur. The average cost per disruption in automotive approaches one million dollars. Annual losses across the sector are estimated at 13 billion dollars globally. Recovery times are also significantly longer, reflecting the complexity and interdependence of automotive production networks.
Investment in measurable resilience
Despite the scale of disruption, the research shows resilience is achievable. Companies that invest broadly across multiple logistics capabilities consistently report lower disruption costs than those pursuing narrower strategies. Investment areas include inbound logistics, factory flows, warehousing, distribution and digital coordination across supply chains.
The Without Logistics Global Report also finds that regions facing the heaviest disruption burden are among the most ambitious in their investment plans. Net expectations of increased logistics spending over the next three years reach 91% in Sub-Saharan Africa, 90% in the GCC and 86% in MENA. Planned investment in AI, robotics and automation is even stronger, with more than 90% of firms in these regions expecting increased spending over the next 12 months.
“What is striking, however, is that the regions under the most pressure are also responding with the greatest urgency,” observed Beat Simon. “In Sub-Saharan Africa and the GCC, more than nine in ten businesses expect to increase investment in logistics over the next year, and it’s 86% in the Middle East and North Africa. That reflects a clear understanding that resilience is now a competitive necessity, not an optional upgrade.”