Sustainability Summit Africa to spotlight procurement best practices

The conference serves as a gathering for decision-makers and organisations to advance their strategies and implementation of sustainable procurement.

"As we navigate the storms of the pandemic, the question on many business leaders’ minds is whether sustainable procurement and supply chain is a reality for Africa. How should sustainable sourcing be managed in cross-border procurement; and what are the threats and opportunities for public sector organisations and stakeholders?

"The 2022 Sustainability Summit Africa features a host of renowned local and international speakers who will deliver key insights on these and other issues. They will examine the drivers, current practices and future of sustainable procurement, with a focus on Africa," says Pearl Marsh, conference manager at Smart Procurement World, which is hosting the summit.

"Delegates can expect to gain an understanding of how to position the value of sustainable business practices in their organisations, and the role they can play,” Marsh expands. “The event will explore new ways to engage suppliers and adopt key performance indicators for sustainable practice, as well as the professional skills needed to reap the benefits of sustainable procurement practices. It will offer opportunities for benchmarking, as the presenters look at global best practices and their local relevance."

The presenters on the programme come from a range of backgrounds, from retail to the mining industry.

Sustainable procurement practices

Sanjeev Raghubir, group sustainability manager at Shoprite, South Africa, will discuss the impact of environmental disasters on the retail sector and its supply chain, and how they can be mitigated. "Climate change, driven by greenhouse gas emissions, is directly impacting retail businesses and their supply chains," he states.

"The Sustainability Summit Africa will examine this and other critical issues and provide companies with valuable information on how to manage their low carbon transition. This is an urgent call to action for companies to address their climate change risks and opportunities," Raghubir stresses.

Positioning the Value of Sustainable Business Practices in Your Organisation and Your Role is the topic of a presentation that will be delivered by sustainability leaders from De Beers Group. Urishanie Govender is the group head safety and sustainability at De Beers Group, South Africa. Her co-presenter, Katie Furgesson is the senior vice-president, sustainable impact at De Beers Group, London

The 2022 Sustainability Summit’s opening keynote presentation will enable delegates to benchmark their organisation’s sustainable procurement policies and practices. In this keynote, Australia-based Carsten Primdal, who is an author, chief sustainability advisory officer and global advisory board leader, will put the spotlight on global best practices and their relevance in Africa.

The second annual Sustainability Summit Africa, where Ecovadis is the Platinum sponsor, is a not-to-be-missed event for everyone involved in sourcing and procurement, Marsh says. This includes chief procurement officers, heads of supply chain, head of sustainable development, chief buyers, purchasing managers, sourcing managers, supplier development managers, commodity managers, category managers, contract managers and logistics managers.

According to a recent McKinsey & Company report, two-thirds of the average company’s environment, social, and governance footprint lies with suppliers. "Procurement leaders have the power to make a substantial difference in their organisations’ sustainability. Under the theme The Road to Best Practice, the 2022 Sustainability Summit Africa is a vital gathering that will help to chart the best path for Africa," Marsh concludes.

The event will take the form of a one-day online conference with workshops held on day two.

For more information on the Sustainability Summit Africa 2021, or to register for the event at no cost, visit www.sustainafrica.co.za or contact moc.dlrowtnemerucorptrams@ofni.