Kenneth Bailey, Managing Director of TankSafe Africa and consulting firm Fleet Best Practice has spent over three decades in the telematics and fleet management industry, with extensive experience tackling fuel theft, driver safety and the practical challenges operators face on razor-thin margins.

Speaking with us after SABOA 2025, he shared his views on the industry's most pressing challenges and why collaboration is the only way forward.

At SABOA 2025, I joined Powerfleet Africa at their stand to showcase the TankSafe anti-fuel theft solutionWhat struck me the most from my conversation with various operators, was the ongoing cost pressure they face.

Fuel, accident repairs and maintenance continue to dominate operating budgets, leaving margins razor thin.

At the same time, operators are facing increasing pressure to invest in safety technologies.

Balancing these priorities is not easy. Operators need solutions that are both practical and affordable, delivering ROI from the onset. Without that, profitability and safety often feel like competing priorities.

But the truth is, with the right tools, safety and profitability can reinforce each other rather than compete.

Diesel is the silent enemy of profitability. "Most fleet managers don't realise they have a problem until they physically catch someone siphoning -- or until they see the impact of fitting a proper solution

That's why Powerfleet is launching Fuel Security as a Service - a subscription model where operators can lock down tanks for less than the cost of 10 litres of diesel per month. From day one, it's self-funding.

"Fuel theft isn't just drivers siphoning a few litres, in Africa it's organised crime. If operators don't lock down their tanks, they're effectively leaving cash on the side of the road."

Today, around 60% of buses (and trucks) in South Africa remain unprotected. There is an increase in OEMs fitting fuel security as standard equipment but still, many vehicles are unprotected and vulnerable, needing an aftermarket solution.

One barrier is awareness. Operators underestimate the scale of theft or dismiss it as "driver behaviour" rather than organised crime. Another is cost, without a subscription model, it's difficult for operators with 100+ vehicles to justify the upfront investment.

OEMs must lead the way by building fuel security into new vehicles as standard, while the industry needs to educate operators on just how quickly the investment pays for itself.

Because when a bus crashes, dozens of lives are at stake. A truck crash might mean a lost load or a damaged vehicle. A bus crash is headline news, with devastating consequences for passengers and their families.

They're critical. Buses are expensive assets, but the bigger cost is human life.

Simple interventions - regular preventative and planned maintenance, thorough pre-trip inspections, fatigue monitoring, and targeted coaching like eliminating distraction caused by mobile phones - can save lives and reputations.

The damage is immense. Beyond the lawsuits and financial cost, a single crash can destroy public trust in an operator.

Parents won't send their children on unsafe buses. Communities won't forgive negligence. An operator's brand can be tarnished for years.

Yes - and some already are. For example, Daimler is the only bus OEM in South Africa currently fitting fuel protection as standard.

I believe OEMs and regulators should go further, ensuring that safety and fuel security become mandatory features. That protects the operator, the passenger, and the brand.

The biggest mistake is data overload. Operators don't need 100-page reports; they need to know which five drivers are creating 80% of the risk.

The second mistake is failing to set the right foundation. If Operations, HR, Safety, and Driver Training aren't aligned, fleet data becomes a dashboard with no impact.

You need clear KPIs, agreed processes for dealing with non-compliance, and a champion in the business to drive change.

That's why Powerfleet offers services like Track & React, an outsourced video review bureau that helps fleets cut down hundreds of daily alerts into just the exceptions, so operators can act quickly without drowning in noise.

"Operators don't buy technology; they buy solutions to real problems. If you can't show ROI from day one, they won't adopt it."

That's a huge issue. Too many drivers are pushed to "push on" even when they're exhausted. I've seen fatigue alerts come through, only for controllers to tell the driver to open the window and turn the radio up. That's not a solution.

Drivers are human beings with families. We need to redefine KPIs, so safety and well-being are measured alongside delivery performance.

Proper training, clear communication, and recognising good performance go a long way. Most drivers don't steal or cut corners. Too often, it is pressure from operators that pushes them into unsafe behaviour.

"Telling a tired driver to open the window and turn up the radio isn't safety management - it's gambling with lives."

OEMs and technology providers must collaborate more closely so that operators aren't left stitching together siloed systems.

The opportunity lies in building seamless partnerships - combining the scale of large players with the agility of specialised solution providers.

"Scale without agility is slow, and agility without scale is limited. It's only when the two come together that the industry really moves forward."

I've worked with Powerfleet (formerly MiX Telematics) for nearly 30 years and the value is clear: scale plus agility.

Powerfleet brings the reach, innovative technology, a loyal customer base, a strong network, and robust billing infrastructure, with the ability to roll out solutions globally.

My team brings the speed - we can test, refine, and adapt solutions quickly.

Together, we can deliver innovation at scale. That's how ideas like "Fuel Security as a Service" become possible.

It's not just about technology; it's about finding the right channel to market and solving real problems for operators.

I'd leave them with two:

"The future of fleet management isn't about choosing between profitability and safety - it's about proving that one cannot exist without the other."