South Africa’s retail procurement drive to boost footwear production

The South African retail sector is increasing its involvement in expanding industrial growth, driving localisation, and creating sustainable employment opportunities through structured trade interventions. In alignment with these objectives, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition is hosting the Footwear Retail Buyer Showcase, Networking Dinner and Targeted Factory Visits at the Coastlands Hotel Umhlanga in Durban from 1 to 2 July 2026. The promotional event is organised in partnership with the South African Footwear and Leather Industries Association and the South African Footwear and Leather Export Council, with additional institutional support provided by the International Labour Organization. This initiative serves as a direct component of the implementation framework of South Africa’s Retail-Clothing, Textile, Footwear and Leather Master Plan 2030, which seeks to establish direct commercial engagement between domestic footwear manufacturers and major corporate retail buyers.

By strengthening these procurement linkages, the domestic retail sector is assisting in deep industrial coordination, strengthening local supply chains, and increasing production capacity to foster an inclusive and resilient economy. The trade event provides a dedicated platform for 13 participating local footwear manufacturers to display their specialized product ranges, production capabilities, compliance readiness, and detailed corporate profiles to invited retail sourcing teams. This business-to-business platform is structured to facilitate immediate sourcing opportunities, retailer onboarding processes, initial trial orders, and long-term commercial partnerships. Dr Tebogo Makube, the Acting Deputy Director-General of Sectors at the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, stated that the showcase represents a practical market intervention demonstrating the joint commitment of government, industry, and organised labour to rebuild manufacturing capacity and expand local procurement.

The execution of the showcase is managed directly by the Master Plan Footwear Working Group, contributing to the core objectives of competitiveness, supplier development, transformation, and job creation. Originally signed in 2019 as a social compact between state authorities, retailers, manufacturers, and organised labour, the sector master plan remains focused on revitalising the broader domestic clothing, textile, footwear, and leather industries. According to department leadership, the future sustainability of the footwear manufacturing sector depends entirely on structured collaboration across the value chain to build an ecosystem that supports enterprise development and market access. Following the initial product showcase, the itinerary includes a networking dinner and a cross-sector panel discussion involving government representatives, trade associations, labour bodies, and manufacturing executives to deliberate on compliance, sustainability, and market barriers.

The second day of the industrial programme, scheduled for 2 July 2026, will transition into targeted factory visits for selected corporate retailers and sourcing buyers. These onsite evaluations are designed to provide buyers with first-hand insight into operational manufacturing infrastructure, technical workforce capabilities, quality management systems, and overall production capacity. This field-level engagement is intended to move commercial negotiations beyond the standard exhibition environment and into practical sourcing contracts. Anticipated outcomes from the multi-day initiative include deepened manufacturer-retailer relationships, elevated market visibility for domestic producers, immediate supplier development interventions, and the collection of operational insights to inform the ongoing implementation and statutory review of the sector master plan.

The strategic integration of domestic retail procurement with local manufacturing capacity is poised to redefine the supply chain dynamics of South Africa's footwear industry by significantly reducing import reliance. By shifting major retailers toward verified domestic suppliers, the initiative creates an immediate, predictable market demand that justifies capital investment in factory modernisation and workforce training. If these initial commercial trials and retailer onboarding processes transition into sustained, long-term procurement contracts, the sector will likely see measurable gains in employment stability and industrial competitiveness. Ultimately, this collaborative model demonstrates how state-led industrial policies, backed by private retail commitments, can successfully accelerate import substitution, shield domestic manufacturing from global supply disruptions, and establish a repeatable framework for broader sub-Saharan economic development.