Proudly South African 2025 Buy Local Summit & Expo to set SMEs up for success

The call to intensify local procurement of goods and services has become increasingly urgent as the economy and small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) — the backbone of the country’s economy — face imminent challenges posed by potential supply chain disruptions resulting from escalating geopolitical uncertainties.

Proudly South African firmly believes that local procurement is relevant now more than ever. It believes increased support of locally sourced goods and services will go a long way to buffer the economy from external shocks and enable local enterprises to create much-needed jobs.

Mindful of these realities, Proudly South African will be hosting its 13th Buy Local Summit & Expo on March 17 and 18 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. This will renew the clarion call to consumers, the public and private sector to step up procurement of goods and services locally in line with this year’s theme: Building a resilient economy through localisation. 

The two-day Buy Local Summit & Expo is an annual flagship event of Proudly South African that attracts nearly 200 local exhibitors spanning several industries, over 1,500 delegates, 450 trade buyers and 160 stakeholders from both the public and private sectors. It’s the country’s premier local procurement campaign, and enjoys the support of various government departments, state-owned entities and leading private sector companies.

The Buy Local Summit & Expo goes beyond reiterating the call to support local enterprises — the event comprises multiple activations that provide exhibitors and the delegates in attendance with practical and tangible outcomes.

To that end, the Buy Local Summit & Expo consists of four main activations, namely the exhibition, business matchmaking sessions, interactive panel discussions and the localisation dinner.

Exhibitions 

Exhibiting at the Proudly South African Buy Local Summit & Expo offers companies a unique opportunity to significantly enhance their brand visibility and market presence.

As the largest local procurement event, it offer exhibitors the chance to be part of a distinguished platform that showcases the best of SA, from multinational brands operating locally to small artisanal producers. It provides a valuable marketing opportunity where companies can sell their products, network with other local businesses, and connect with key decisionmakers in procurement. 

“The Buy Local Summit & Expo provides exhibitors with enhanced visibility and a captive audience that stretches beyond their geographical confines. Through this event, the exhibitors can expand their market reach, showcase their offerings to a wider audience, and interact with prospective customers who would have otherwise remained oblivious to their products and services.

“Through these exhibitions, the Buy Local Summit & Expo has unearthed many homegrown businesses and enabled them to scale up at a faster pace than they would have been able to,” says Eustace Mashimbye, CEO of Proudly South African.

Mashimbye says the exhibition is supported by a value-added service called the Business Solutions Hub. Here, exhibitors and attendees receive expert advice and innovative solutions from industry specialists on a wide range of business challenges, from improving operational efficiency to navigating regulatory requirements. The Business Solutions Hub service provides participants at the event with valuable insights, practical tools and strategic guidance to help them successfully navigate the challenges they may face.

“We are cognisant that SMEs often lack the resources to secure the services of consultants and change management experts to offer counsel on strategic or operational matters. The Business Solutions Hub plugs this gap by availing these experts who share their expertise and offer customised solutions to whatever challenges our exhibitors and delegates may be confronted with, at absolutely no cost. This is one way we are contributing meaningfully to supporting our local entrepreneurs to pivot from being in survivalist mode to becoming future conglomerates,” says Mashimbye.

Matchmaking 

One of the main elements of the Proudly South African Buy Local Summit & Expo is a matchmaking component where exhibitors are partnered with compatible conglomerates for possible inclusion in the latter’s supply chain.

“One of the biggest hurdles that stifles the growth of SMEs is lack of access to markets. Through matchmaking, these companies can get a foot in the door and interact with decisionmakers who can enable them to scale up and take their businesses to the next level,” says Mashimbye.

“Matchmaking provides a structured and strategic approach to networking and enhances the overall value of the summit and expo, by enabling exhibitors to maximise their market opportunities, build lasting business relationships and expand their reach within the local procurement landscape.”

Panel discussions

The Buy Local Summit & Expo will be opened by Gauteng economic development MEC Lebogang Maile and a keynote address will be delivered by the trade, industry & competition minister Parks Tau.

Interactive sessions have been lined up where a panel of industry experts will deliberate on a variety of invigorating topics, from the impact of illicit trade on the economy to challenges facing the local fashion industry. 

Localisation dinner

The pinnacle of the Buy Local Summit & Expo is the localisation dinner. The dinner is a cornerstone of Proudly South African’s strategic initiative to foster proactive engagement with the private sector by garnering support and commitment to drive economic growth and job creation through localisation efforts.

This exclusive event draws over 280 distinguished guests, including executives from South African private sector companies, captains of industry, key public sector stakeholders, Proudly SA board members and select media representatives. The dinner provides a unique platform for meaningful discussions and collaborations aimed at advancing local procurement and strengthening the nation’s economy.

“Owing to the convergence of economic, environmental and consumer-driven factors, businesses globally have been embracing a transformative trend towards local sourcing. This strategic shift reflects a departure from traditional global supply chains towards more localised procurement strategies,” says Mashimbye. 

“By encouraging the sourcing of goods and services from nearby suppliers, businesses can play a pivotal role in fostering economic growth within their communities. This support translates into job creation, increased spending in local markets and the development of robust business ecosystems that contribute to overall prosperity. We believe that through these modest efforts, we are playing a meaningful role in building a resilient economy through localisation.”

Don’t miss the Buy Local Summit & Expo on March 17 and 18 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg: register for free now.

This article was sponsored by Proudly South African.

^{The Buy Local Summit & Expo is proudly supported by these sponsors: ABSA (headline sponsor), DSBD, dtic, Santam, Transnet, Gauteng Economic Development, GEP, South32, SAB, AITF, Sasol, Telkom, Standard Bank, IDC and Nestlé.}