SA–EU procurement dialogue gains momentum with further engagements ahead

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 and the Eastern Cape in November 2026.

Implemented by the Government Technical Advisory Centre (GTAC) in partnership with the National Treasury Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) and other project partners, the initiative forms part of the EU–South Africa Dialogue Facility III project, Digital Governance, Ethical Procurement and Anti-Corruption for Inclusive Development. It brings stakeholders together to explore how digital transformation, stronger governance and ethical practices can improve public procurement.

The provincial dialogues provide a platform for stakeholders to share implementation experiences, identify operational bottlenecks, governance gaps and integrity risks, and contribute practical recommendations. These engagements help inform the project’s technical work and recommendations to OCPO.

The KwaZulu-Natal dialogue, held in Pietermaritzburg, included a focus group engagement on 3 September 2026. The programme addressed procurement integrity, ethics and digital governance, including red flags, accountability, data governance and the role of digital procurement in strengthening transparency and public trust.

Further discussions focused on monitoring and oversight, including auditability, reporting requirements and governance considerations in digital procurement implementation. The programme also provided for reflection and validation of findings and recommendations, alongside lessons from GTAC’s digital procurement prototype.

Upcoming engagements in Limpopo in October and the Eastern Cape in November will broaden stakeholder participation and bring additional provincial perspectives into the dialogue.

To extend the exchange, a proposed three-part webinar series will explore the overarching theme “From Process to Integrity and Accountability”:

• Mapping Procurement for Better Outcomes: Examining procurement processes, decision points, bottlenecks and governance gaps, and opportunities for improvement in an increasingly digital environment.
• 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.
• 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.

Together, these engagements connect practical implementation experience with policy discussions, supporting informed recommendations for procurement reform.

Visit GTAC’s EU dialogue page to learn more about the programme, follow upcoming stakeholder engagements and access the knowledge products produced through the dialogue.