Renewed focus on localised procurement at upcoming Buy Local Summit & Expo

The imposition of 30% tariff increases on South African exports to the United States has reignited fears of a jobs bloodbath and has seen many industries scrambling to find alternative exports for their produce.

While tariff hikes will not form part of the discussion items at the 14th edition of the Buy Local Summit & Expo, the annual two-day event taking place on the 16th and 17th of March 2026, will shine a spotlight of some of the key challenges facing the economy, namely the influx of illicit goods and unfair trade practises such as illicit money flows, dumping, and the proliferation of counterfeit goods.

The conference will also seek to ascertain the milestones that different role players have achieved to mitigate the adverse impact that offshore, e-commerce retailers have had on the ailing local retail, clothing, footwear, textile, and leather sectors.

“In addition to the punitive tariffs imposed on South Africa, the economy continues to be battered on many fronts. The upcoming Buy Local Summit & Expo seeks to become more than just a talk shop, but more of an appraisal of the strides that various stakeholders have achieved to address some of the challenges that are debilitating our economy.

The challenges we are facing give credence to the importance of tapping into the internal resources that we have to weather the storms and navigate our economy out of this morass. By aggregating consumer demand and harnessing our substantial public and private sectors, we can stimulate economic growth, reignite consumer demand, and create much-needed jobs,” says Eustace Mashimbye, chief executive officer of Proudly South African.

The Buy Local Summit & Expo attracts over 1,600 delegates, 200 exhibitors, government ministers, entrepreneurs, investors, and funders. One of the key sessions at the Buy Local Summit & Expo is a business matchmaking session, which is a networking session between small and medium-sized businesses and established conglomerates.

To register attendance at the Buy Local Summit & Expo, please click on this link: Buy Local Summit and Expo 2026.