Proudly South African, in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, has launched two e-commerce platforms designed to bring local goods directly to online shoppers while unlocking national visibility for township and small businesses.
They comprise a business-to-consumer online store named Shop Proudly SA and a business-to-business (B2B) online platform, knowns as the Market Access Platform (MAP).
MAP will allow buyers who aim to meet their localisation targets by accessing a database of over 2000 enterprises across diverse industries, all accredited by Proudly South African.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau hailed the initiative as a game changer for local economic development.
“This will allow South African manufacturers, especially MSMEs, to access opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), a market with a projected GDP of $3.4 trillion and access to 1.4 billion consumers,” said Tau.
He added that South Africa’s e-commerce market was expected to reach R225 billion by 2025, driven by increasing internet penetration and expanding digital payment infrastructure.
“It is critical that local producers benefit from this growth and are not left behind,” Tau said.
However, he also raised concerns that only about 20% of public procurement spending currently reached SMEs, with even lower levels for businesses owned by women, youth, persons with disabilities, or military veterans.
“This must change. MAP directly supports this transformation. It will allow procurement teams to filter suppliers by sector, ownership profile, compliance status and local content thresholds, making it easier to meet localisation and transformation targets,” he said.
Congress of South African Trade Unions president Zingiswa Losi, who also attended the launch, said the two platforms were economic drivers.
“They are mechanisms to positively shape South Africa’s developmental trajectory. They are tools that empower businesses, protect and create jobs, and equip consumers with the ability to drive transformation, one purchase at a time,” said Losi.
Many small business owners believe the platform will help them with long-term growth.
Lufuno Raseoseo, founder and CEO of Tosh Detergent, a brand of locally made cleaning products, said the platform brought long-overdue visibility to small businesses.
“Through this platform, Proudly SA is giving us direct access to consumers, more visibility, and a chance to compete not just locally but globally. This is indeed a game changer for many small businesses,” said Raseoseo.
“This platform, I believe, it’s not only to sell products but will be a platform to tell stories, create jobs and build legacies. I now encourage every business owner to make sure they utilise this platform and show up and sell with pride.”
For Cleo Camhee, the owner of Pathway of Discovery, which focuses on handmade leather corporate gifts and personalised products, said MAP was a potential game-changer.
“This platform means a lot to us. It gives us a chance to market our business and reach more customers, which is something small businesses like mine struggle with. Market access is everything without visibility and sales, there’s no business,” said Camhee.
zanele@vutivibusiness.co.za
