Abstract:
Public procurement fulfils an important role in the economy and public expenditure of
a country and can be regarded as a critical indicator of the e ectiveness of a government, because
it is a central aspect of public service delivery. Notwithstanding various reforms made to date
to public sector procurement in South Africa and the application of Supply Chain Management
as a strategic policy strategic instrument, the South African public procurement system still faces
several challenges and has been strongly criticised. This paper aims to understand the current
public procurement environment in South Africa, its dilemmas and challenges, and to propose that
public procurement be refocused towards a strategically placed business process, implemented by
well-trained and competent procurement o cials. The purpose is to provide a theoretical foundation
as well as practical guidance regarding the role of public procurement in the South African public
sector. The methodology involved an intensive literature study and document analysis to evaluate
various o cial policy documents and o cial publications to determine the status of South African
public procurement. The study found that the majority of challenges faced by public procurement
in South Africa can probably be attributed to the implementation of the system, rather than to the
system itself. In the shorter and longer term, the public procurement system in South Africa will
have no choice but to emerge as a stronger, more resilient, streamlined and e cient provider of goods
and services for the greater good of all.
