Deputy President Paul Mashatile will later this evening attend and deliver the keynote address at the Proudly South African Buy Local Summit and Expo Localisation Dinner at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg.

The Deputy President will be accompanied by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel; Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and senior government officials.

The Localisation Dinner is organised by Proudly South African, an organisation that drives creative strategies to influence local procurement in the public and private sectors. The aim is to increase local production and influence consumers to buy local in order to stimulate growth in the economy and create much needed jobs.

“Deputy President Mashatile will highlight the importance of stimulating our local procurement for growth in our economy, creating jobs, broadening markets and creating numerous opportunities for business expansion.

“Government, working together with business and labour, is committed to develop and implement plans to attract investment in different sectors of our economy and to drive up productivity and create employment opportunities,” the Presidency said in a statement.

This engagement is preceded by Proudly South African Buy Local Summit and Expo, which commenced on Monday. The summit, which wraps up today, has an informative, jam-packed programme under the theme, 'Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs through Localisation'.

The event brings together captains of industry in various economic sectors and also features more than 200 high-quality home-grown goods and service providers, who are showcasing various products includingmpharmaceutical and health products; furniture and electronics; food and drink products; as well as jewellery and textiles.

Source: South African Government News Agency