Buying local to grow SA’s economy
Various sectors of society have once again committed to buying locally produced goods and services to help stimulate economic growth and foster job creation in the country.
This was shown during the 12th Buy Local Summit and Expo that was recently held by Proudly South African (Proudly SA) at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
It was attended by approximately 2000 delegates and 216 exhibitors from across the country.
Proudly SA Chairperson Howard Gabriels said the campaign was born out of a partnership between the government, the private sector, civil society and trade unions.
Delivering the keynote address at the summit and expo, Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Ebrahim Patel applauded the business sector for taking its rightful place in leading the drive to buy local goods and services.
“When you bring the energy of the business community into a campaign like this, it can strengthen it very significantly,” he said.
He said the Proudly SA campaign is much more than encouraging citizens to buy locally produced and manufactured products and services.
“The campaign also helps to market South African goods to a wider range of global consumers,” he said.
The highlight for the Minister was the 17 pledges that were made by private companies which committed to buying locally manufactured products and services during the summit and expo.
The founder and creative director of Ezokhetho, Mpumelelo Dhlamini, was among those who exhibited at the expo.
“Ezokhetho is a contemporary fashion brand that sells clothes that tell a South African story. Our designs comprise prints, patterns and everything African in a contemporary setting,” Dhlamini explained.
Dhlamini established the brand in 2019, after completing the Design Innovation Challenge by Edcon and Runway Productions in 2018. This was an incubation programme in which designers came up with new concepts and created something out of it.
“The initiative was also supported by Proudly SA, which I have been a member of from the beginning of my journey with the brand. Five years later, the brand has grown and is standing on its own feet,” Dhlamini said.
She encouraged local businesses to take advantage of platforms like the Buy Local Summit and Expo because they open conversations about economic growth and job creation through supporting local businesses.