Author name: SPW Editor

Procurement fraud, tariffs and ethical sourcing are among the topics topping the agenda at the upcoming 19th annual Smart Procurement World Indaba, which takes place in Johannesburg from 15 to 18 September 2025. The organisers expect more than 2 000 attendees from the private and public sector to attend the event, which is South Africa’s top conference for the procurement and inbound supply chain profession.

Too many corporate enterprise and supplier development (ESD) initiatives focus on compliance rather than real results. For long-term success and a sustainable impact on lives, the economy and South Africa’s unemployment crisis, emerging suppliers must be integrated into real supply chains.

The Public Procurement Act will have major implications not just for the public sector but also for the private sector supplying goods and services to the state. It may potentially extend into the private sector and impact how organisations buy from their own private suppliers, the African Procurement Law Unit’s Professor Geo Quinot told delegates at the recent 2024 Smart Procurement World Indaba.

This year’s 18th annual Smart Procurement World Indaba, which takes place in Gauteng from 9 to 12 September 2024, is one of the most important ever, according to the organisers. It comes hot on the heels of the signing into law of the Public Procurement Bill by President Cyril Ramaphosa. Around 600 procurement professionals are expected to attend the event to learn, network and explore issues that include this long-awaited legislation.