The Proudly South African Buy Local Summit & Expo is featuring more than 200 high quality home-grown goods and service providers, who are showcasing everything from pharmaceutical and health products to stylish furniture and electronics for home and office use, delicious food and drink products, as well as jewellery and textiles.
This Proudly South African flagship event kicked off on Monday, March 27 at the Sandton Convention Centre. It offers an informative, jam-packed programme under the theme, ‘Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs through Localisation’.
The summit was opened by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, who gave the keynote address.
A diverse range of industries and sectors are being featured in a not-to-be-missed showcase, which goes beyond mere product sales and makes a crucial contribution to strengthening local and international trade and the growth of economies.
These sectors include, but are not limited to, agro-processing (Krugersdorp’s Qaboha Farming); automotive (Toyota); mining, and beneficiation (African Millennium Jewelleries, Bokoena's Fashion Jewellery, Luxity Fine Jewellery Pty Ltd, Mmako Designs, MMH Jewellers CC, Ndalo Jewellery, Nolo M Jewellery Designs, Revelea Jewellery, Sibeko Jewellers, The Jewellery Village, TM Jewellery Pty (Ltd).
The plethora of manufacturing companies range from PG Bison, a proudly South African company driven to inspire and enable beautiful spaces with its comprehensive range of wood-based panel products to cement and lime provider PPC Ltd and tyre giant Goodyear. There’s also leather goods manufacturer Wendy M (Pty) Ltd; water tank manufacturer and supplier SBS Tanks; glue manufacturer Makoya Adhesive; clothing company Chepa Streetwear; bottled water manufacturer Beige Butterfly and DermoProf skincare and more.
Ziyakhala Manje unpacks South Africa’s events industry, which has one of the biggest jobs value chains in the country, accounting for approximately 9% of total output, employment and GDP. The industry will be featured both on the conference programme as well as on the expo floors and will have representatives from organisations including the DStv Delicious Festival, Joy of Jazz, RiSA, Makhelwane Festival and Back to the City, among others.
Companies in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector include Bliss Brands, makers of laundry, household, and personal care products as well as Switch Energy Drink and fashion brand distribution business Skye.
The Buy Local Summit & Expo includes a fashion activation known as The Busy Corner showcasing local fashion ranges from a number of the country’s leading designers and retailers including SB Kids by Bokang Montjane-Tshabalala and her husband Siphiwe, Biji La Maison by Biji Gibbs, Ledikana, Rubicon, and NN Vintage by Mafikizolo’s Nhlanhla Mafu.
Nearly 50 food and beverage manufacturers and providers will be in attendance from Absolute Coffee and The Freshly Squeezed Juice Guy to Mopani Queens and Spices 4 Africa as well as The Salad Lab, Veg On The Go, Tolokazi Beer, and more. Each and every delegate and consumer who will walk the floor of the Expo will be spoilt for choice.
Eustace Mashimbye, Proudly SA CEO, said: “Aspiring and established SMEs and entrepreneurs will have access to the Business Solutions Hub, an area dedicated to entities and organisations that exist to regulate, legislate, and advise small businesses. The entities will be on site to resolve disputes, attend to queries and accept applications. These include CIPC, CIPS, CGCSA, the dtic, SEFA, SEDA, SARS, SABS, NEF and The BBBEE Commission.
“Members of Proudly South African share a commitment to an uplifting ethos that promotes social and economic change and progress. They make a meaningful contribution to building South Africa's economy, alleviating unemployment, and retaining existing employment opportunities.”
“The conference floor is abuzz with panel discussions and presentations from representatives of various labour-intensive sectors.
“The ongoing electricity crisis was the focus for seasoned broadcaster Jeremy Maggs on day one, as a facilitator of the panel discussion aimed at unpacking the country’s energy status quo, as well as the localisation and industrialisation opportunities that exist in the Renewable Energy industry. The panel aims to bring out feasible solutions to the crisis that can also create jobs within the country.”
Partners of the 2023 Buy Local Summit & Expo include ABSA, Sasol, Aspen, Sizwe IT, Southern Sun, GCIS, Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa, SA Breweries, the dtic, Brand South Africa and Trade and Industry KZN (TiKZN).
Source: South African Government News Agency