Johannesburg, South Africa, 17 March 2025 – The Women’s Economic Assembly (WECONA) is poised to host an exclusive high-level engagement on 28 March 2025, convening President Cyril Ramaphosa, government ministers from the Economic Cluster, private sector executives, industry leaders, and women entrepreneurs to promote gender transformation in South Africa’s economic
supply chains. As South Africa continues its economic transformation agenda, WECONA catalyses collaboration between government, the private sector, and civil society to ensure that women-owned businesses gain meaningful access to procurement and supply chain opportunities. The Assembly aims to accelerate the participation of women-led enterprises across entire value chains, strengthening their impact in sectors such as manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism.
WECONA Chairperson 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 demand 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 The legislation repeals the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, 2000 (PPPFA) and replaces outdated procurement models with a more transparent, accountable, and inclusive system.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.
Beyond government, the private sector must also take responsibility for ensuring that procurement and supply chain strategies reflect real economic transformation rather than compliance-driven processes. WECONA 2025 will highlight how the Public Procurement Act, 2024, will shape procurement opportunities for women-led businesses, particularly in key sectors such as infrastructure, capital assets, and service-related industries. The discussions will also emphasize 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 rather than just policy promises. With sector-specific regulations set to guide procurement processes in infrastructure, goods, and services, WECONA 2025 will provide a roadmap for how these legal changes will create meaningful opportunities for women-owned businesses.
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 drive systemic change. The discussion is expected to yield concrete commitments from key industry players, ensuring that procurement strategies move beyond policy into practice.
Another pivotal moment of the event will be the launch of the Presidential Index for Gender-Inclusive Supply Chains, a data-driven accountability 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 realization of this initiative is made possible through the collaboration of government, private sector leaders, and financial institutions. ABSA and the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) serve as 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 policy actions that will drive gender-inclusive procurement transformation beyond 2025. This engagement will set a new precedent 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.
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