More than 300 delegates gathered in Johannesburg for the 3rd Annual Tender Success Summit 2026, as organisers and participants used the event to push a broader message: for small businesses, winning work is only part of the equation. The harder task is becoming ready for it.
Hosted by ROI Group, the summit brought together SMEs, buyers, funders, procurement specialists, public-sector representatives and ecosystem partners around the theme “Market Access • Tech • Trade...
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”. According to the organisers, the aim was to move the conversation beyond conventional conference talk and towards practical interventions that help smaller firms enter and compete in procurement markets.
Lerato Sebata, summit chair and chief executive of ROI Group, opened the event by casting it as a strategic platform rather than a once-a-year networking exercise. Her central point was that SMEs need more than opportunity; they need visibility, systems, financial discipline, digital capability and strong connections to the buyers and institutions that shape procurement.
That message ran through the day’s discussions. Speakers repeatedly returned to the gap between ambition and execution, noting that many businesses are capable of finding tenders but less prepared for the administrative, financial and operational demands that follow. The event framed supplier development as a collaborative exercise, involving entrepreneurs, corporates, government, financiers, technology providers and support organisations working in concert rather than in isolation.
The summit also reflected the growing importance of procurement as a development tool. More than 20 exhibitors and event partners were involved, with seven procurement corporate partners represented. The breadth of participation, organisers said, underscored demand for platforms that connect SMEs directly with decision-makers, funders and service providers.
Among the most prominent topics were e-procurement, finance and cashflow, AI in tendering, supplier development and regional trade expansion across the Southern African Development Community. National Treasury’s e-procurement discussion highlighted the shift towards more transparent and automated systems, while technology sessions explored how AI and digital tools are reshaping tender preparation, compliance and submission processes.
Finance was another recurring concern. Panellists focused on the common problem of businesses securing purchase orders without the working capital, costing discipline or funding readiness to deliver at scale. The summit’s trade discussions then pushed the conversation outward, looking at opportunities beyond South Africa and the need for certification, standards alignment and regulatory preparedness.
A practical highlight was the SME Pitch Session, which gave selected entrepreneurs direct access to funders, corporates and ecosystem partners. For many attendees, that direct exposure was one of the summit’s most valuable elements, offering not just feedback but the possibility of real commercial follow-up.
The day ended with extensive networking between entrepreneurs, procurement executives, government officials, investors and business support organisations. Organisers said the event’s strong turnout and diverse participation showed how central supplier-readiness platforms have become as procurement systems digitise and competition intensifies.
The broader message from the summit was clear. SMEs will increasingly need to demonstrate readiness across finance, governance, operations and technology if they are to turn opportunities into sustainable growth. In that sense, the event was less about aspiration than preparation: access matters, but readiness matters just as much.
Source: Noah Wire Services
