Women-owned businesses secure more than a third of Western Cape Government procurement spend for a second consecutive year

Women-owned businesses received 34.69% of the Western Cape Government’s total procurement spend for the 2025/26 financial year, marking the second consecutive year that the province has exceeded National Treasury's 30% benchmark, without the use of set-asides or mandatory sub-contracting.

This was revealed in the province’s 2025/26 Annual Procurement Disclosure Report which was published today. 

The achievement builds on the milestone reached in 2024/25, when the Western Cape Government exceeded the 30% benchmark for women-owned businesses for the first time in its history.

Provincial Treasury is currently working with the World Bank on a detailed assessment of the province's procurement data to determine whether the Western Cape may be the first national or subnational government in the world to achieve procurement spending of at least 30% directed towards women-owned businesses, without set-asides or mandatory sub-contracting.

The report also found that 57.15% of total procurement spend went to Black-owned businesses, while 25.24% was directed towards small, medium and micro enterprises. 

Western Cape Minister of Finance, Deidré Baartman, said, “Our economic inclusion outcomes have been achieved without mandatory subcontracting requirements or procurement set asides. Instead, the province has demonstrated that redress and inclusion are possible through open and competitive procurement processes.”

The report further highlights several notable procurement achievements that supported service delivery, infrastructure investment and economic participation in the Western Cape:

• The Western Cape Government spent R21.75 billion on procurement during the 2025/26 financial year.
• 41 197 requests for quotations were processed, resulting in 18 855 awards.
• The Department of Health and Wellness had the province's highest procurement spend, accounting for R8.87 billion or 40.76% of total procurement expenditure.
• The province’s top 3 largest spending categories or commodities were:
  • Other Fixed Structures: R2.94 billion
  • Buildings: R2.52 billion
  • Property Payments: R2.30 billion
• Significant spending was also made in key service delivery areas, including R2.18 billion for medical supplies and R1.65 billion for computer services, helping to strengthen healthcare and government’s digital capabilities.

The report also underscores the impact of the Western Cape Government's digital reforms in the procurement space. Through digital platforms such as the eProcurement Solution (ePS), the province continues to improve how purchases are planned, processed and monitored. During the period under review, 64.82% of ePS opportunities were advertised through competitive quotations with a threshold value of R10 000 to R1 million, reinforcing the province’s commitment to encourage competition, value for money and making it easier to do business with government. 

Premier Alan Winde said, “The Annual Procurement Disclosure Report is an important tool for transparency and accountability. It gives residents an opportunity to see how government procurement decisions translate into service delivery, infrastructure investment and economic opportunity. Openness in public spending is essential to building public trust and strengthening good governance.”