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The upcoming Buy Local Summit & Expo will shine the spotlight on the adverse impact of illicit trade, the crippling tariff hikes imposed on South African exports to the United States, and the far-reaching impact of the exponential growth of offshore, e-commerce retailers on local industries when the two-day event is hosted on March 16 and 17 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg.
Financial services provider, Standard Bank Group, has secured the rights as the headline sponsor of the 14 th edition of the Buy Local Summit & Expo, with Naledzani Mosomane, Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) within Business & Commercial Banking at Standard Bank South Africa noting that:
“Small and medium-sized enterprises sit at the centre of many of these value chains with their ability to grow and compete depending on a supportive local ecosystem and strong domestic supply networks, the very environment that platforms like the Buy Local Summit & Expo help to strengthen. Standard Bank recognises that localisation is a cornerstone of building a stronger, more inclusive economy, and is instrumental to the growth of SMEs and subsequently job creation and innovation, adds Mosomane.
“By deliberately sourcing from local suppliers and investing in home-grown entrepreneurs, Standard Bank is strengthening supply chains and ensuring that South Africa’s industries can withstand market shocks and remain competitive.”
Standard Bank’s commitment goes beyond financial support as the bank walks alongside entrepreneurs at every stage of their journey, supporting them to start, manage, and grow businesses that drive local production.
The Buy Local Summit & Expo is the annual flagship event of Proudly South African and the biggest local procurement event in the country that attracts government ministers, senior public servants, captains of industry, financiers, industry formations, organised labour, over 200 local exhibitors, and micro, small and medium enterprises.
The theme for the 14 th edition of the event is: Localisation…A critical imperative for the economy. “The choice of the theme speaks to a myriad of unprecedented headwinds that the economy is facing, from unfair and illegal trade practices such as illicit trade, dumping, counterfeit goods and under-invoicing, which cumulatively incapacitate local industries, undermine public safety, hollow out legitimate businesses, deprive the fiscus of revenue and fuel organised crime and corruption.
“South Africa’s retail, clothing, textile, footwear and leather sectors are facing increasing pressure from the rapid rise of offshore fast‑fashion and e‑commerce platforms, as well as ongoing global reporting on labour and sourcing concerns within parts of those supply chains,” says Eustace Mashimbye, Chief Executive Officer of Proudly South African. “At the same time, the influx of low‑cost imports continues to challenge the competitiveness of local enterprises across industries such as sugar, steel, poultry, furniture, packaging and fast‑moving consumer goods.”
“As the country’s leading buy‑local advocacy campaign, our role is to champion the importance of strengthening domestic value chains and supporting local businesses. We remain committed to working with partners who share this focus, to ensure that South African industries are able to grow, compete and continue contributing to the country’s economic resilience.”
In line with the theme of the conference, one of the main attractions at the 2026 Buy Local Summit & Expo will be a high-powered panel discussion titled: Impact of unfair and illegal trade practices on localisation and industrialisation. The panelists will consist of senior executives and senior officials from organisations that are adversely impacted by illicit trade, namely SAB, South African Canegrowers Association, sugar, poultry, pharmaceutical, furniture-making industries and the Department of Trade, Industry & Competition (dtic).
The second panel discussion on the same day is titled: Unpacking the impact of offshore ecommerce retailers on the domestic clothing and textiles industry and will comprise panelists from the National Consumer Commission (NCC), Competition Commission, South African Revenue Services (SARS), dtic, and BM analyst, Courtney Barnes. This session will be moderated by Localisation Support Fund Chief Executive Officer, Irshaad Kathrada.
The importance of localisation will be cascaded to the operational level with the panel discussion that will explore how enterprise supplier development initiatives can be harnessed to support and drive localisation, while the popular and light-hearted panel discussion known as Celebrating Local Heroes, powered by Brand SA where brand managers of renowned South African household brands will talk about their brands and what makes them tick. The popular brands that will be profiled this year are from Haleon, Nestle, SAB, CCBSA and Unilever.
“We call on the public to register early for the Buy Local Summit & Expo to avoid disappointment. This year’s Buy Local Summit & Expo promises to be more impactful, dynamic and exciting,” Mashimbye concludes.
To register attendance at the Buy Local Summit & Expo, please click on this link: Self Registration | Buy Local Summit and Expo 2026
In addition to Standard Bank as the headline sponsor, the sponsor line-up for the 2026 edition of the Buy Local Summit & Expo includes the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD), Coca Cola Beverages South Africa (CCBSA), South32, Telkom,NHulamin, AITF, Adreach, Haleon, W&R SETA, Brand SA, Arena Holdings, Brand SA, AIDC, GGDA, SAB and Nestlé.
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