South African consumers should buy local goods and services to support businesses’ ability to expand into the export market, President Cyril Ramaphosa urged delegates at the Proudly SA Buy Local Summit and Expo in Johannesburg on Tuesday.
Ramaphosa, who proudly showed off his South African-made shoes and suit during his recent State Of the Nation Address, told delegates at the 10th Proudly SA Summit, hosted at the Industrial Development Corporation campus in Sandton, that his buy local message was “more important than ever”.
“The economic damage caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has placed even greater demands on our economy to provide employment and livelihood opportunities. The pandemic has both exposed the fragility of global supply chains and revealed the great capacity we have here in South Africa for innovation and adaptation in manufacturing,” Ramaphosa said.
He said that in the space of just two years, “through collaboration and out of necessity”, the country had managed to build local production capability in ventilators, hand sanitisers, medical-grade face masks and gloves, vaccines and therapeutic drugs and anaesthetics.
“Not only did we produce these goods to meet local needs, but also to meet the needs of other countries on the continent. Local production is important because it encourages national pride in the goods, services and products made on our home soil. It supports the growth of small businesses and the expansion of larger firms,” said Ramaphosa.
The aim of the Summit is to assist government departments and agencies to use procurement legislation and procedures to drive demand for local goods; to encourage corporate South Africa to expand its use of locally made goods and services, and to educate consumers on labels of origin and on their role in contributing to job creation by making ‘Buy Local’ choices.
Ramaphosa said he had pointed to his locally made clothes to draw attention to the quality of local goods and to the capability of local manufacturers as well as to encourage citizens to support local businesses.
“We need to work together to create an environment that supports local companies.
“That is why we have partnered with stakeholders in various industries to develop sector master plans that have already increased investment and production in several industries.
“To create an environment more conducive to local production, we are reducing red tape and removing the barriers to entry for emerging companies.”
He said this was why the government was undertaking “far-reaching reforms” in energy, telecommunications and in our ports and railways to improve the competitiveness of our products.
“A growing local market enables producers to expand and to start exploring export opportunities in other markets. We all need to make a contribution to this effort – from government and state-owned companies, to business and labour, to producers and consumers – because we all benefit from this effort.”
