NBI Advisory Council for Environment and Society (ACES)
2025-09-11 11:00 - 13:00 (Africa/Johannesburg) | Johannesburg, South Africa
Following our first workshop held in August 2025, the National Business Initiative (NBI), supported by GIZ, invite you to a second session. During the initial event entitled “Local Power, Local Industry: Aligning Heavy Manufacturing with the Transmission Development Plan (TDP)”, participants overwhelmingly identified procurement related issues and barriers in the TDP as a major concern. This next engagement will focus on addressing these key areas.

The TDP (2024 – 2032) is arguably the largest infrastructure programme South Africa will undertake in the next decade — creating an unparalleled opportunity to anchor a bold industrialisation agenda.
The accelerated rollout of this could signal a steep industrialisation curve, opening new pathways for localisation, reindustrialisation, and long-term competitiveness of South Africa’s industrial base, while enabling large-scale access to renewable energy.

The Public Procurement Act 2024 presents a powerful opportunity to advance economic empowerment, local industrialisation, and transformational procurement, including designated set-asides (reserved/ targeted suppliers) and local content thresholds. While the Act was signed into law in 2024, the subordinate regulations are still to be developed to make the Act enforceable. Given this context, the procurement regulations developed under the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) remain in force. The pre-qualification criteria for companies within the Independent Transmission Project (ITP) process are also of interest, given their implications for the role of local industry in grid expansion.

What to expect:

Demonstrate the dual role of the heavy manufacturing sector in decarbonizing their own operations, while contributing to the national effort to decarbonise the national grid.
Highlight the importance of pursuing localisation, industrialisation and decarbonisation as components of South Africa’s Just Transition.
Deep dive on procurement challenges facing local firms as the country balances rapid grid infrastructure development with localisation in a sluggish economy.

Why you should attend this event

This session will give you insight into decarbonisation barriers for the heavy manufacturing sector. It will also consider how the TDP can unlock large scale green industrialisation through renewable energy access, and focus on the specific role of national level procurement in rejuvenating South Africa’s manufacturing sector.

Speaker line-up

Gregor Schmorl: Programme Manager, GIZ
Deger Saygin: Industry Programme Lead, OECD
Irshaad Kathrada: CEO, Localisation Support Fund
Virgilio da Molo: Programme Director, Manufacturing Circle
Simphiwe Ngwenya: Senior Manager: Climate Mitigation, Presidential Climate Commission (PCC)
Ian Davis: Business Development Manager, Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)

For more information contact: Alexa Brown-Robinson: AlexaB@nbi.org.za or Gillian Maree: GillianM@nbi.org.za

Event Details:

Date: Tuesday, 28 October 2025Time: 10:00 to 12:00 (SAST) followed by a networking lunchVenue: FutureSpace61 Katherine Street Sandton

Please Click Here to RSVP

Innovation as an enabler to improve water-use efficiency in South Africa
2025-09-23 09:00 - 11:00 | MS Teams Webinar

Energy Efficiency and Energy Management Seminar
2025-09-25 09:00 - 2025-09-26 16:00

Implementing Solutions to Build Skills for JET Programmes and Projects
2025-10-06 13:00 - 15:30

Local Power, Local Industry: Breaking Through Barriers
2025-10-28 10:00 - 12:00

MEMBER ONLY EVENT: Carbon Tax in South Africa for Beginners and Seasoned Practitioners
2025-10-30 10:30 - 13:00

Thought Leadership Session: Water Footprint in Action: Strengthening Climate-Resilient Business with Science-Driven Approaches
2025-11-06 10:00 - 12:00 | MS Teams Webinar

Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Strengthening Whistleblowing Mechanisms for SMMEs
2025-11-13 10:00 - 12:30 | FutureSpace, 61 Katherine Street, Johannesburg, Gaiuteng, South Africa

Unpacking the South African Wholesale Electricity Market for Business and Municipalities
2026-02-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom

NBI AGM Membership Council 2026
2026-02-26 09:00 - 12:30

White Paper Event March 2026
2026-03-10 09:00 - 13:00 | Centurion

INVITATION Exploring South Africa’s New Energy, Critical Minerals, Manufacturing and Logistics Frontier – A Northern Cape Provincial Government Showcase
2026-03-18 10:00 - 12:00 | Sandton

The Road to COP31: Opportunities for Business Collaboration
2026-03-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Zoom

INVITATION Nature Action Accelerator - A South African Perspective on a Global Shift Toward Nature-Positive Business
2026-03-20 12:00 - 14:30 | MS Teams Webinar

Invitation EEPBIP-ESCo Awareness Raising Match-Making Networking Session
2026-03-25 09:00 - 16:00 | FutureSpace, 61 Katherine Street, Johannesburg, Gaiuteng, South Africa

INVITATION Nature Action Accelerator: Module 2 - A South African Perspective on a Global Shift Toward Nature
2026-04-14 10:00 - 12:30 | Zoom

NBI Member Only Event - Carbon Markets in Practice: What Companies Need to Know
2026-04-21 09:30 - 12:00

Accelerating Corporate Action on GBV – WeDare Repository Event
2026-05-04 09:00 - 12:30
