July, a new beginning for many of us. In the sense that we've had 6 months to write down our goals, pursue them, evaluate their success, and start new goals or like most of us end up giving up and lie to ourselves and say we're going to start again next year - be honest! Life is like business; you have an idea, you do some research, plan, and prepare, but most times the beast is entirely different to what you envisioned which often leads to failure. But as the Buy Local campaign what we have learnt on the journey of supporting local businesses is that South Africans persevere, through a shaky economy, social unrest, and rising unemployment statistics, we absolutely refuse to be swept away by any tide formed against us.

That is why we kicked off our second half of the year by celebrating the launch of our two online platforms which endeavour to propel local businesses into the future through creating an access to market opportunity within the digital economy landscape. Proudly South African, in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), unveiled ground-breaking and pioneering e-commerce solutions that will bolster public and commercial support for locally manufactured goods and services in line with the drive to ramp up localisation of the economy.

These e-commerce solutions comprise of a business-to-consumer (B2C) online store aptly named Shop Proudly SA, and a business-to-business (B2B) online platform which will be known as the Market Access Platform (MAP). MAP will provide corporate buyers who wish to meet their localisation targets with access to a database of over 2,000 enterprises spanning diverse industries that have been vetted and accredited by Proudly South African.
Shop Proudly SA will enable conscientious consumers to seamlessly and securely source and buy only locally manufactured goods under one roof at the click of a button. Shop Proudly SA and MAP have huge potential to provide a lifeline to many fledgling SMEs who have lost a significant share of their respective markets, due to the influx of imports, especially in labour intensive sectors that have been negatively affected by imports, including in industries growingly serviced by online stores.
These platforms also address the pain points that many consumers and the private sector have alluded to about struggling to identify companies that have local manufacturing capabilities across different industries. By housing all these companies under one roof for consumer shopping and procurement purposes, we provide visibility to these companies, convenience to shoppers and seamless access to home grown companies for procurement practitioners who seek to meet their localisation objectives.

We had the privilege of ending our June on a high when we hosted an event called the Man Cave at Riverside in Johannesburg the event aimed to provide male entrepreneurs with safe spaces where they can express themselves freely without fear of judgement. In these sessions, the male entrepreneurs who are members of Proudly South African discussed the challenges they face in business and their personal space and offered insights on how they have managed to navigate business and mental health challenges.

Renowned industry leaders who have blazed a trail in their respective fields headlined the event, taking delegates through their entrepreneurial journeys and shared insights into how they have dealt – and continue to deal – with mental health challenges brought on by the pressures of building a business. The speakers included Zuza Mbatha, Group Chief Executive Officer of Adreach; Dumi Mahlangu, Founder of Chepa; award-winning Lethabo Mokoena, Founder of Walk Fresh; and David Wilson, Director at the National Mentorship Movement. The session was facilitated by acclaimed actor and advocate Zane Meas. Man Cave is more than just a networking platform, it’s about normalising conversations around mental health for men, as well as the tragedy that is GBV in SA, equipping our members with tools for personal resilience and business sustainability. We want male entrepreneurs to know that real strength includes vulnerability, and that seeking help is a sign of courage, not weakness.

The Van Toeka Tribute in honour of Mama Abigail Kubheka brought about immense pride for us, in partnership with the Department of Sports, Arts & Culture, as we had the privilege of supporting this momentous celebration, of a living legend whose legacy has shaped South Africa’s cultural and artistic identity in immeasurable ways. And what better way to honour a true legend than by draping her in a one-of-a-kind local designer dress by the iconic local fashion house, RUBICON.

Proudly South African also took a quick sho’t left to Durban for the annual Hollywoodbets Durban July, where it wasn’t just about the races but also the local fashion! In true Proudly South African style, the local fashion police were on the hunt for unsuspecting fashion enthusiasts on the day where Proudly SA CMO, Happy MaKhumalo Ngidi, asked the pertinent question of the day; “Are you wearing local?” The category winner for the classic racewear female category walked away with a special prize of local fashion from one of the local fashion police designers in partnership with Proudly South African.

As part of our activation for the much-anticipated event, Proudly SA erected the home of local at the venue which was a temporary house structure that was draped and furnished in old school adornments, and paraphernalia to evoke fond memories of the days gone by, as well as a very modern local look and feel to add that local is lekker vibe.

Last but not least, July is a very big month for us here at the home of local, because we get to celebrate the best of our local vines. We’re going back to Prison Break Market from the 25th – 27th of July, for the annual Proudly South African Local Wine Expo. The Expo will be hosted under the theme: Local wine serves the best sip, where approximately 30 local wine makers will be exhibiting their finest vintages that caters to the palate of seasoned connoisseurs and casual drinkers alike.

The Local Wine Expo schedule is as follows:

• Friday, July 25: 15:00 - 22:00
• Saturday, July 26: 12:00 - 22:00
• Sunday, July 27: 12:00 – 22:00

To register for the event, visit https://tickets.tixsa.co.za/event/proudly-south-african-local-wine-expo for registration. Space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot early. Follow us on Instagram (@proudly.sa), Facebook (@proudlysa), TikTok (@officialproudlysa) and Twitter (@ProudlySA) for the latest updates and sneak peeks leading up to the event.

Strictly no children under the age of 18 will be allowed at the venue. In the spirit of promoting safe driving, Proudly SA requests that guests drink responsibly and never drive under the influence of alcohol. Patrons are encouraged to use e-hailing or chauffeur services or to have sober designated drivers.

For information on South African products to look forward to, please contact our team at [email protected]. We will gladly share insights from our trusted member stakeholders.
Remember to check out Proudly SA’s latest CI document to see the various ways in which you as a member of Proudly SA can use our logo on all your qualifying products, websites, and other marketing material.

Should you have any questions or suggestions, or would like to collaborate on future initiatives, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Should you wish to share with the newsletter team any milestones, events, awards, or sales, please send your email to [email protected]. We value your feedback and involvement in shaping the course of our movement.