Procurement trends under the spotlight at the Women in Procurement Conference 2023

Image source: Gallo/Getty

The procurement industry is in a transition phase, presenting both challenges and exciting opportunities.

"Skilled procurement personnel are vital to ensuring that procurement is efficient and optimised – and there are many opportunities for women to grow and thrive in this industry," says the WIP conference convenor and organiser Masego Khutsoane. "The WIP conference is a necessity: not just for women, but for society as a whole. Gender parity in the workplace is crucial to ensuring that the imbalances of society and positions of influence are addressed. This event is a step towards addressing this."

Procurement is a key driver of development and an enabler of service delivery. The government is the single largest buyer in the country, spending more than R500bn on goods, services and construction works a year through more than 1,000 procuring entities.

The one-day WIP conference will address how women in the procurement space can accelerate their journey to value, by better-harnessing networks, intelligence and the experience of those at the forefront. "Our speakers’ journeys, thoughts and learnings will deploy delegates towards success, understanding and intentionality in their careers," she explains. Khutsoane is also the founder and CEO of Procurementor, a company that equips institutions and individuals with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to increase organisational effectiveness.

The WIP conference aims to:

• Introduce a targeted mentorship and coaching programme for procurement professionals;
• Increase awareness of opportunities for women empowerment and funding;
• Expand networks to enable collaboration with other experts; and,
• Provide a platform for women in procurement to network and collaborate on various business opportunities.

The draft programme includes:

• Keynote address: Mpho Matsitse - Head of industry and value advisory: SAP Africa
• Fireside Chat: MJ Schoemaker (Sapics president) and Allison Anthony (senior lecturer of public procurement law: Unisa)
• Master Class: Dawn Smith – head of training: Caliba Group
• Pressures in procurement: Mmatshepo Rasebopye - director for supply chain management; Gauteng Provincial Government

"The WIP Conference is committed to pursuing gender quality and promoting women’s voices, access to opportunities and leadership in procurement," concludes Khutsoane.