NMSDC Conference : SASDC Joins the International Supplier Diversity Community at the NMSDC's Annual Conference

SASDC Press Release, Miami, Florida: From Saturday 23 October to Wednesday 27 October a SASDC delegation attended and exhibited at the 2010 National Minority Supplier Development Council’s annual conference and business opportunity fair in Miami, Florida, USA. The SASDC is a corporate member led organization in South Africa promoting supplier diversity by certifying bona fide black suppliers and opening up corporate procurement opportunities to black businesses. The delegation included members of the South Africa International Business Linkages Program (SAIBL), a USAID funded program supporting the establishment of the SASDC, as well as several representatives from the SASDC corporate founding members.

Savvas Pouroullis, chairman of the SASDC steering committee and Sasol representative, noted that “there is a real opportunity for corporate South Africa to leverage their combined procurement muscle to assist in transforming our economy. This power of collective action by SASDC corporate members can significantly contribute to the long term growth and sustainability of black business in South Africa.”

Many other major corporations in South Africa are also leading by example. The founding corporate members of the SASDC are ABSA, Barloworld, Cummins, De Beers, First Rand, Foskor, Johnson Controls, Rand Water, Sappi, Sasol and Unilever. These corporations are providing thought leadership in their respective sectors by acknowledging that growth and prosperity in South Africa is dependent on a more inclusive economy that uses and develops the skills of historically disadvantaged businesses. To this end the SASDC is creating a directory of bona fide black suppliers from which corporate members can select businesses that meet their procurement needs. John James, Chief of Party of the SAIBL program, had this to say: “American corporations have long realised that supplier diversity is not just about complying with laws or doing the right thing, but a real competitive factor for unlocking latent innovative talent, production capacity and market opportunities. Why would Fortune 500 corporations such as Microsoft, Macy's, Proctor and Gamble, Bank of America and others send their CEOs and Vice Presidents to an event like this unless they have seen real shareholder value in doing business with black suppliers?”

Throughout the conference the SASDC delegation lobbied chief procurement officers from US companies with subsidiaries in South Africa to inform their counterparts in South Africa that the SASDC was open for business. They also spoke with numerous US minority owned businesses that expressed an interest in partnering with black businesses in South Africa to help them achieve greater scale and capacity.

For more information, contact Gary Joseph on Tel +27 11 544 6000 or email joseph.gary@nbi.org.za

Issued by the South African Supplier Diversity Council
Johannesburg
29 October 2010
www.sasdc.org.za