Proudly South African is gearing up to host the Buy Local Summit & Expo 2023 which takes place at the Sandton Convention Centre on March 27-28.
The Summit and Expo, which enters its 11th iteration this year, will showcase an array of local products and offerings, after two years of the event being held in a largely virtual/hybrid format.
The theme of the summit is 'Growing the Economy and Creating Jobs through Localisation'. Proudly SA CEO, Eustace Mashimbye, said the event was a platform for local businesses to gain and exchange insights from other companies and an opportunity to echo the ‘buy local to create jobs’ message to consumers and businesses within the private and public sectors.
“We encourage consumers to attend the two-day spectacular as it will not only be insightful, but it will also add value to aspiring entrepreneurs, and offer networking opportunities with large corporates in South Africa,” said Mashimbye.
The summit brings together sectors contributing to job creation, placing emphasis on localisation. “Furniture, automotive, agro-processing, food and beverages, clothing, textile, footwear, leather, lifestyle and creative industries will share the spotlight in the movement to improve the economy.”
He said Proudly SA played its part in alleviating poverty and unemployment through its broader ‘buy local’ campaign and, as a flagship event of the organisation, the summit had multiple objectives aimed at maximising reach and the impact of the campaign.
“This includes lobbying all tiers and agencies of government to prioritise localisation in their procurement processes, encouraging corporate South Africa to increase its uptake of locally sourced and manufactured goods and services required for their day-to-day operations.”
He said it also aimed to educate consumers on the impact of buying local, and its importance in job creation and economic growth.
The two-day programme is expected to attract more than 2 000 delegates in person and many more through the event’s online streaming platform.
Aspiring and established small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs) and entrepreneurs will have access to the Business Solutions Hub, an area dedicated to entities and organisations that exist to regulate, legislate, support and advise small businesses.
Entities including the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC), the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (Sefa), Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) will be on site to resolve disputes, attend to queries and accept applications.
Registration for consumers to attend the flagship event has now opened. Consumer registration is free and visitors can join any of the sessions. – SAnews.gov.za
