Procurement 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 as he this morning opened the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Southern Africa Connect & Engage Conference 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg.

Hosted by CIPS – the world's largest professional body for procurement and supply, representing more than 200,000 professionals and learners across more than 180 countries – the two-day conference has brought together senior business, government and procurement leaders from across Africa to examine how procurement is becoming one of the continent's most important drivers of economic resilience, infrastructure delivery and long-term growth.

Addressing delegates, Dr Makhubu said procurement had fundamentally evolved from an operational support function into a strategic economic enabler capable of determining whether countries attract investment, accelerate infrastructure delivery, strengthen industrialisation, create jobs and improve national competitiveness.

He argued that in today's environment of geopolitical instability, supply chain disruption, climate change, cyber threats and shifting global trade patterns, procurement should no longer be measured by whether it secured the lowest price, but by whether it creates resilience, enables growth and protects national competitiveness.

The Commissioner noted that Africa's economy is projected to grow by between 4% and 4.5% annually over the next decade, outpacing expected global growth, while by 2050 the continent will be home to around one-quarter of the world's population. He said this demographic and economic opportunity would only translate into sustained prosperity if governments and businesses build the infrastructure, institutions and supply chains capable of supporting that growth.

He also pointed to South Africa's planned R1.1 trillion public infrastructure programme over the medium term, arguing that procurement professionals would ultimately determine whether those investments become roads, ports, power stations and logistics infrastructure, or remain plans on paper.

The Commissioner's remarks come as businesses continue to navigate heightened geopolitical tensions, weaker South African manufacturing sentiment, disruption to global shipping routes linked to conflict in the Middle East, and continued investment in strategic infrastructure and renewable energy as government seeks to stimulate economic growth.

Opening the conference, London-based CIPS Global CEO Ben Farrell said procurement professionals were operating at one of the most significant moments in the profession's history.

"The world we knew has changed. Four decades of globalisation have gone. The tectonic plates of global trade have shifted. 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."

Farrell said procurement leaders were increasingly responsible not only for supplier relationships and value creation, but also for enterprise risk, ESG, artificial intelligence, organisational resilience and long-term strategic decision-making.

"We are at one of those defining moments where professions evolve. 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."

Farrell also announced that CIPS' global Great Conversation, which has already engaged tens of thousands of procurement professionals worldwide on the future of the profession, will transition into The Great Response during 2027, translating those global insights into practical action for the profession.

Recent CIPS research reinforces many of the themes raised during the opening session. The latest CIPS Pulse Survey found that 75% of procurement professionals identify conflict in the Middle East as the biggest threat to global supply chains, 67% cite broader geopolitical instability, while 79% are concerned about cyber attacks across their supply chains. Meanwhile, the Global State of Procurement & Supply 2026 report found that 33% of procurement leaders now report directly to CEOs or managing directors, while 56% of organisations plan to increase investment in digital technology, 53% in workforce capability and 48% in artificial intelligence over the next 12 months.

The conference continues over the next two days with discussions on artificial intelligence, ethics and governance, public procurement reform, ESG, supplier development, Pan-African trade integration, infrastructure delivery and digital transformation. Speakers and panellists include senior leaders from Amazon Web Services, Unilever, Siemens Energy, Transnet, Sasol, Anglo American Zimele, FirstRand, Rand Water, Eskom, African Bank, BCX, the Industrial Development Corporation, Africa Global Logistics and the AfCFTA Secretariat, alongside government representatives from across the continent.