MEDIA RELEASE
SANRAL starts public consultation on proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP)

Cape Town, 31 October 2023 – The South African National Roads Agency SOC Limited (SANRAL) today hosted the first of a series of engagements at various venues throughout the country to consult stakeholders on a proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP).

The first of the stakeholder engagement sessions took place at SANRAL’s Western Region office in Belville, Cape Town, with more than 100 people in attendance. Stakeholders also gathered at satellite venues in Pacaltsdorp, George, in the Southern Cape and Kimberley in the Northern Cape, both of which were linked virtually to the Belville office. SANRAL’s Western Region covers both the Western Cape and Northern Cape.

SANRAL CEO Reginald Demana, Regional Manager Randall Cable and other senior SANRAL representatives engaged with interested and affected stakeholders on the proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) and related matters. Issues raised by stakeholders also included opportunities for small, medium and large contractors, transformation of the construction industry, skills development and training, as well as SMME funding, amongst others.

Mr Demana likened tensions around the transformation of the construction industry with the transformation of rugby in the earlier years of democracy when the Springboks were criticised for being too white. Many years later, the entire nation was celebrating the fact that the Springboks have won their fourth Rugby World Cup, with Siya Kolisi as captain for the second time.

“There was a time when some people stood up and said ‘If we don’t introduce quotas in sport, we are not going to achieve transformation’. That was not so long ago – and some people were up in arms – but we went through that pain and together today we celebrate Siya Kolisi, we talk about him as a great captain, some would say the most successful, having lifted two World Cups. But there was a time at which he was probably seen as not good enough to make that team. There was a time when, for him to make it to that team, there had to be a target set for a certain number of players of colour.” The battle for diversity in the Springboks was a long-term vision which is similar to the transformation of the South African economy, said Mr Demana. SANRAL would continue to work towards transformation of the construction industry, he said.

The proposed Interim Preferential Procurement Policy (PPP) is open for comment for three (3) weeks until 17 November 2023. The document can be found on SANRAL’s website (www.nra.co.za) and various social media platforms. Embedded within the policy document is an email address (commentsppp@nra.co.za) to enable stakeholders to submit their comments.