Procurement will drive next phase of African growthProcurement and supply chain professionals must move beyond simply reducing costs and instead become architects of economic growth, infrastructure delivery, investment confidence and national competitiveness if Africa is to realise its enormous economic potential. That was the message from South African Revenue Service (SARS) commissioner Dr Johnstone Makhubu, addressing the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Southern Africa Connect & Engage Conference 2026 in Johannesburg. London-based CIPS Global CEO Ben Farrell tells delegates that procurement professionals are operating at one of the most significant moments in the profession’s history. Regionalisation is accelerating, disruption has become a permanent feature of the global economy, and procurement professionals now find themselves at the centre of helping organisations navigate that uncertainty.” The responsibility of procurement has fundamentally changed, and the contribution procurement professionals will make over the next decade will be greater than at any point in our history.”