WECONA 2025 to Drive Gender-Inclusive Supply Chains in South Africa

WECONA 2025 will ensure that women-owned businesses gain meaningful access to procurement and supply chain opportunities.

JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA, March 20, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- WECONA 2025 to Drive Gender-Inclusive Supply Chains in South Africa

The Women’s Economic Assembly (WECONA) will host an exclusive high-level engagement session with President Cyril Ramaphosa, government ministers from the Economic Cluster, private sector executives, industry leaders, and women entrepreneurs on 28 March 2025. The purpose of the session will be to promote the participation of women in South Africa’s economic supply chains. As South Africa continues its economic transformation agenda, WECONA seeks to facilitate collaboration between government, the private sector, and civil society to ensure that women-owned businesses gain meaningful access to procurement and supply chain opportunities, especially in sectors such as manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism.

WECONA Co-Chair and National Convenor, Ms Futhi Mtoba, highlighted the urgency of moving beyond commitments to real implementation, stating: “Women entrepreneurs have been left on the margins of South Africa’s economy for far too long. While we acknowledge progress, the reality is that women-owned businesses still struggle to access key supply chains in industries that drive economic growth. We can no longer afford to treat gender-inclusive procurement as an afterthought. It must be a fundamental pillar of economic transformation. WECONA 2025 is not just a conversation but a call for implementation, action, and measurable change.”
While the South African government has committed to a 40% preferential procurement target for women-owned businesses, the new Public Procurement Act 2024 (Act No. 28 of 2024) introduces broader procurement reforms that will shape the future of inclusive economic participation. The Act emphasises transparency, efficiency, and the expansion of economic opportunities for underrepresented groups’ businesses. The Act’s phased implementation, as determined by the President’s proclamation in the Government Gazette, will see different government entities adopting the new regulations at different stages. The legislation repeals the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, 2000 (PPPFA) and replaces outdated procurement models with a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive system. Until full implementation, the existing Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) remain in effect.

WECONA 2025 will feature discussions to emphasise the role of private sector leadership in ensuring that gender-equitable supply chains foster inclusive growth. There will be a strong focus on collaboration between government, industry leaders, and financial institutions to ensure procurement policies deliver real economic inclusion. A key highlight of WECONA 2025 will be the Presidential Roundtable, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, where government and business leaders will engage in a strategic dialogue on how both the public and private sectors can practically drive systemic change. Another pivotal moment of the event will be the launch of the Presidential Index for Gender-Inclusive Supply Chains, a data-driven tool designed to track, measure, and evaluate procurement transformation across industries. This initiative will provide a clear mechanism for assessing real impact and ensuring that women-owned businesses are fully integrated into South Africa’s economic landscape.
The realisation of this initiative is made possible through the collaboration of government, private sector leaders, and financial institutions. Brand South Africa (Brand SA), The Gates Foundation, IDC, MSME Chambers, ABSA, and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) are key sponsors, reinforcing their commitment to breaking down financial barriers for women entrepreneurs and ensuring that economic transformation extends beyond rhetoric.

As WECONA 2025 convenes South Africa’s key economic decision-makers, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders, it is expected to produce bold commitments, measurable outcomes, and innovative policy actions that will drive gender-inclusive procurement transformation beyond 2025. We continue for how both the public and private sectors approach economic inclusion, ensuring that women entrepreneurs move from the periphery to the center of South Africa’s supply-chain ecosystem.

Press Release distributed by Ingenious Holdings on behalf of WECONA.
For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact
Thando Dhaza
+27 79 4298 263
thando@ingeniousholdings.co.za

EDITORIAL SITE NOTES.
The Women Economic Assembly (WECONA) was established to advocate for the equal economic participation of women in South Africa’s mainstream economy. It seeks to address systemic barriers that hinder women-owned businesses from accessing opportunities in key sectors. By fostering collaboration among government entities, private sector partners, and civil society organizations, WECONA aims to transform industry value chains, ensuring that women entrepreneurs are integral to economic growth and development.

Thando Dhaza
Ingenious Holdings
+27 79 429 8263
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