April is a monumental month in our country, a time to reflect and acknowledge the strides we as the nation have achieved over the last 30 years of democracy. As the 30 years of freedom dawn on us, we also face the harsh realities that befell our economy; unemployment, and inequality. Therefore, at Proudly SA, we took the time to reflect on some of the positive outcomes the 30 years of democracy have had on the economy and small businesses. In reshaping the future of our next 30 years, since its inception 22 years ago, Proudly SA has tirelessly poured into the economic bucket by encouraging everyone with purchasing power to make their buying decisions in favour of local.  As such, we pride ourselves in having the opportunity to give access to market opportunities to our members to ensure that their businesses create a sustainable future for many families in South Africa. By aiding local businesses through the Buy Local campaign, we not only are ensuring that their business doors are open, but we are addressing the triple challenges that have imprisoned South Africa since its democracy. Additionally, we are proud of the strides we have made in creating an opportunity to influence local procurement in the public and private sectors, to stimulate job creation.

In the last 30 years, we have seen the nation stating that we are officially open for business and, that we are ready to rebuild and sustain our economy. This has been an uphill battle for many of our entrepreneurs, as we have encountered many challenges along the way but in the spirit of Ubuntu, we have seen many South Africans band together to uplift and support small businesses. We have also seen large corporations in the private sector come to the aid of small businesses and aid the growth and sustainability of small businesses through various ESD programs and financial assistance. The mandate has been clear: to ensure our locally manufactured goods and services are put at the fore and that citizens prioritize our homegrown goods to ensure that we leave a legacy for our children. We look forward to celebrating 30 more years of freedom; freedom to create, buy, and sell our homegrown products and services to grow our economy for the betterment of the nation.

We would like to congratulate our members, Tetra Pak who officially reopened their Pine Town manufacturing plant this month. The Buy Local campaign had the honour of being part of this momentous occasion and celebrated the 500-million-rand injection into Tetra Pak’s manufacturing plant in Pinetown Durban. This highlights the business’s localisation commitment to South Africa and affirms that job creation is at the forefront of their business initiatives.

We also took the time to attend the Empowa Entrepreneur Funding Summit, where we led a buy local campaign drive amongst the delegates, who attended the summit. We were also invited to the Empowa Youth Week in the Vaal, where we spread the buy local message and educated the youth on the importance of supporting local businesses and our homegrown products and services.

Our members: Ezokhetho, Biji La Maison and Rubicon were a part of SA Fashion Week as they launched their respective new season collections. SA Fashion Week is a vital platform for fashion designers to exhibit and showcase their work not only to local fashion lovers but also to the international fashion market.

Proudly South African also visited Isu’Lihle Primary School in Zola, Soweto to hand over 190 new locally-made chairs and the new signage board of the school. We also painted the school walls and installed new ceiling boards in some classrooms. Lactalis, a member of the campaign, donated some dairy products to the school for the learners. The campaign chose to lend a helping hand to Isu’Lihle Primary School, because of the challenges the school was experiencing. Proudly SA found it imperative to get involved to ensure that the children could attend a school that would provide a good learning environment for the learners.

Kota King and 2Selai, represented us well at the Jozi Kota Festival and ensured the festival goers’ tastebuds were tantalized with all the delicious variations of Kotas on offer.

We look forward to celebrating Africa Month in May.

Please look out for upcoming access to market events & webinars on our social media channels.

For information on South African products to look forward to, please reach out to our team at [email protected], and 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.

We are also pleased to share with you our CODE OF CONDUCT for your kind perusal and understanding.   

Sincerely,

Eustace Mashimbye

Chief Executive Officer