Proudly South African launches online furniture portal
Dedicated furniture portal
Proudly South African is South Africa’s official buy local advocacy campaign. On 28 April, it launched its dedicated furniture portal, as per the Furniture Sector Master Plan, which was adopted on 29 March this year. The aim is to assist a sector that has suffered a decline in recent years yet has the capacity for massive job creation. The furniture portal will make the sourcing of locally made furniture easier.
The furniture portal will be a platform where furniture buyers and sellers can engage. It will be a valuable resource for anyone looking to purchase furniture, from private consumers to large corporates and any public sector body. This will be especially helpful for meeting the requirements of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, which mandates public sector procurement of locally manufactured furniture at thresholds of between 85% (office furniture) and 100% (school furniture). Bed bases and mattresses carry a 90% local content threshold level.
Furniture manufacturers and sellers are able to register on the platform using the simple online form.
Eustace Mashimbye, CEO of Proudly South African, says that all of the work is aimed at showcasing supply and stimulating demand for locally manufactured goods and services. He says that the success of the portals that were introduced in 2020, primarily in response to Covid-19 requirements for masks and other personal protective equipment, demonstrated how important having one central database of suppliers can be.
“We work to support the dtic’s sectoral master plans, and this important industry is no exception. We look forward to seeing the content of the portal expand now that it has been launched and we encourage anyone who procures furniture to refer to the portal before looking anywhere else,” he says.
“We are delighted that this portal will provide solutions to the companies that have limited resources in terms of marketing their products, but also empower them on ecommerce and expertise,” says Director of Resource Based Industries at the dtic Tafadzwa Nyanzunda. “This platform will certainly increase the visibility of local furniture brands and will deliver invaluable data regarding consumer shopping patterns.”
For more information, visit the Proudly South African website’s furniture sector page.
