Navigating Geopolitical Turbulence: A Qualitative Investigation of Supply Chain Resilience Strategies in the African Oil and Gas Sector

Abstract

Resilience within the supply chains of African Oil & Gas (AOG) companies has been neglected by the literature,
which has mostly covered supply chains in well-structured, mature environments. This research fills this research
void through a qualitative analysis of how AOG firms can achieve resilience in a long-term period of geopolitical
instability and disruption, such as the current Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as the increasing foreign participation
(particularly China) in Africa's energy sector. Semi-structured interviews with senior supply chain managers,
logistics directors, procurement officers and other stakeholders involved in the process in Western, Eastern,
Central, Northern and Southern parts of Africa were conducted and analyzed through an inductive-deductive
approach. Five major themes were identified risk identification, supplier relationship management, visibility via
technology, workforce preparation and external regulations – with real-time visibility as a common resilience
enabling factor. Regional differences have been observed: Western Africa paid more attention to supplier/route
diversification, Eastern Africa stressed the need for digital coordination and environmental monitoring while
Southern Africa considered sustainable technology and regional collaboration as key.