GCCA Africa Cold Chain Conference 2026

The GCCA Africa Cold Chain Conference is the Global Cold Chain Alliance's regional event for the African market, run over two days in Johannesburg under the 2026 theme 'Progress, Priorities, and Partnerships.' It pairs a speaker programme and panel sessions with a small exhibition and networking receptions, covering refrigerated logistics, cold storage, IoT-driven traceability and sustainable refrigeration. GCCA runs it as the African leg of its global convention and conference portfolio.

It is the main point in the year where the continent's cold store operators, 3PLs and equipment suppliers align on trade corridors, climate-smart infrastructure and refrigeration technology for African supply chains. Sessions address the practical constraints - power, corridor logistics, ESG - that determine whether temperature-controlled capacity actually expands. For anyone building or serving cold chain in Africa, it is the primary regional networking and deal-making window.

Attendees are C-suite and senior operators from cold storage companies, controlled-environment builders, refrigeration and equipment suppliers, and 3PL/logistics providers from South Africa and across the continent. GCCA Africa leadership (including chairman Dr. Newton Matope) and corridor authorities feature on the programme. It is a modest, regional gathering rather than a mega-show.