The project brings together the South African government, international partners and technical experts to improve how procurement is designed, implemented and monitored with a specific focus on digitisation, integrity and accountability.
Building on an existing GTAC-led procurement automation prototype, the initiative aims to ensure that digital systems are not only efficient, but also ethical, compliant and audit-ready.
The South Africa–European Union procurement dialogue is underway, with provincial engagements completed in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, and further dialogues planned for Limpopo in October…
Read MoreOver the past five years, South Africa has recorded R406.83 billion in irregular expenditure, with 68% linked to procurement and contract management non-compliance.
Public procurement plays a critical role in delivering services to citizens. However, persistent weaknesses in procurement and supply chain management continue to undermine performance and public trust.
These challenges are driven by:
The result is a system that is vulnerable to inefficiencies, misconduct and weak oversight that affects more than 15 million citizens who rely on public services.
In this context, there is a clear need to strengthen institutional capacity and frameworks for ethical, transparent and accountable procurement.
South Africa’s procurement reform agenda is increasingly anchored in digitisation — not as a standalone technology fix, but as a system enabler. In line with National Treasury’s approach, this means building integrated digital public infrastructure where data informs decision-making, systems are interoperable, and transaction-level information strengthens transparency, oversight and value for money.
This requires a shift from manual, fragmented processes to automated, data-driven and transparent procurement systems that enable real-time visibility, reduce discretion and strengthen integrity controls.
In line with this reform agenda GTAC and its partners began piloting the automation of key procurement processes some time ago. As government prepares to scale these systems across institutions, there is an urgent need to:
The GTAC eProcurement initiative and the Dialogue Facility project are practical, system-level contributions supporting this transition ensuring that digitised procurement systems are robust, ethical and fit for scale.
Through a structured dialogue approach that makes use of study tours, training workshops, learning exchanges and virtual clinics and symposium and technical workstreams which meet weekly, the initiative will evaluate and strengthen the GTAC e-procurement services prototype across four key areas that improve performance, integrity and readiness for scale:
This initiative aims to deliver both immediate improvements and long-term systemic change.
In the short-term this project will improve the performance of procurement automation pilots, strengthen compliance and oversight mechanisms and enhance capacity among procurement officials.
In the medium-term this project will deliver increased consistency and integrity across procurement processes, better use of data for monitoring and decision-making and improved audit outcomes.
While in the long-term it will make public procurement systems more transparent, accountable and efficient public procurement systems, build stronger public institutions and ultimately improve service delivery outcomes for citizens.
This project is delivered through a strong partnership between the South African government and the European Union as well as other international organisations and technical experts.
Leads the design, coordination and implementation of the project, including the procurement automation roadmap, technical development and overall programme delivery.
Provides strategic leadership on procurement policy, regulation and system implementation, ensuring alignment with national frameworks and adoption across government.
Strategic partner and knowledge exchange lead — supporting the project through funding, technical expertise and international knowledge exchange, drawing on global experience in digital procurement, anti-fraud systems and governance.
Provides technical expertise on digital governance and integrity, alongside advisory services and capacity-building support as part of the EU programme.
Contributes expertise in public financial management and procurement transparency, and facilitates peer learning within the EU programme.
Contributes anti-fraud expertise, including early-warning systems, case studies and training tools.
Serves as a study tour host, sharing operational e-Procurement insights and system design lessons.
Serves as a study tour host, offering insights into data-driven oversight systems and lessons on red-flag analytics.
A wide network of partners contributes to the delivery of the project, including:
Workshops, training sessions and knowledge-sharing events form a key part of this initiative. Information on upcoming events and past engagements will be shared here. In November the following three webinars will be taking place: 1. Mapping Procurement for Better Outcomes: Examining procurement processes, decision points, bottlenecks and governance gaps, and opportunities for improvement in an increasingly digital environment. 2. Strengthening Procurement Integrity: Risks, Red Flags and Controls: Exploring integrity risks and warning signs, and how controls, data and digital processes can support early identification and management of procurement risks. 3. Ethics and Accountability in a Digital Procurement Environment: Considering the ethical, behavioural and governance foundations needed to strengthen transparency, accountability and public trust alongside digitalisation. The final provincial dialogue will take place in November in the Eastern Cape.
Insights, tools and resources developed through the project will be made available to support learning and replication across government.