Proudly South African To Host SA's First Buy Local Indaba and Expo
The theme of the Indaba is "Be Proudly South African - Buy Local to Create Jobs" which is the key message of Proudly South Africa's marketing and communication campaign.
The Expo will showcase Proudly South African member companies' service offerings and manufactured products available from all sectors of business in South Africa and aims to create a network that can link all state organs and corporate business to local suppliers.
Says Dalene du Preez, Executive Manager Marketing and Communications at Proudly South African, "Given the fact that local procurement in South Africa has been recognised by government to drive economic growth and job creation, we see this event as an essential tool to facilitate and influence economic flow between local and big business. Given government's new amendment regulations to procurement that will come into effect in December this year and the impact of the Industrial Policy Action Plan 2 (IPAP2), we know that local procurement is on the increase in South Africa as a national commitment to job creation.
While government and corporate SA are grappling to find high quality local suppliers, attending the Proudly SA Buy Local Indaba and Expo will offer an opportunity for state organs and corporate businesses in South Africa to access the Proudly SA pool of companies that complies to:
local content, high quality products & services, fair labour practices and environmental standards that could assist to increase the companies' BEE scorecard rating by advancing their local procurement database, and this can impact strategically on their business and their bottom line ."
For the consumer, attending the Indaba will make them aware of local brands that they can support in the marketplace and what opportunities are out there for local entrepreneurs. It's also a great way for the youth and employees to engage new company networks in a relaxed and non pressurised environment.
The two day Buy Local Indaba includes presentations and talks on local procurement, local manufacturing and job creation opportunities with a special focus on the priority sectors as identified by government. These presentations will take place from 9:00am to 16:00pm and are open to corporates in a conference seating setting. Attendance to the Buy Local Indaba presentations are free but pre-registration is required.
The centerpiece of the two-day event will be the hosting of the prestigious ProudlySA Homegrown Awards, which are sponsored by PetroSA, South Africa's national oil company. The awards will see ProudlySA member companies recognized and rewarded for their commitment to job-creation, environmental responsibility, fair labour practices and the production of high quality goods or services.
Kaizer Nyatsumba, PetroSA's Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, says the state-owned firm's sponsorship of the Homegrown Awards is necessitated by a need to develop local companies that can compete with the best in the world.
"At PetroSA we view the development of local suppliers as critical to our own success. We often are compelled to utilize the services of foreign firms due to the non-availability of suitably qualified South African companies. Supporting the Homegrown Awards ensures we assist in developing and recognizing local expertise," he says.
The ProudlySA Homegrown Awards will take place on 29 September 2011 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
This article was originally posted on South Africa Business Communities
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