Western Cape Government achieves historic 34.6% women-owned procurement milestone; Requests World Bank and United Nations to verify that the WCG is first government in the World to achieve 30% mark

The Western Cape Government (WCG) today released its 2024/25 Public Disclosure Report, showcasing the province’s continued commitment to transparency, good governance, and inclusive economic growth through public procurement.

The report highlights a historic milestone in advancing women’s economic empowerment. During the 2024/25 financial year, 34.6% of the Western Cape Government’s total procurement spend, amounting to R6.84 billion, was awarded to women-owned businesses.

This is the first time in the history of the Province that it surpassed National Treasury’s 30% benchmark, and represents a significant rise from 23.4% in 2023/24. It may also be the first verifiable instance globally of a national or sub-national government achieving a minimum of 30% of its total procurement spend directed to women-owned businesses.

Premier Alan Winde said, “The results show that through transparency, innovation, and fairness, we can make public procurement a driver of opportunity for everyone. It also reflects the province’s strong governance systems that ensure money is spent where it makes the biggest impact, on people, communities, and growth and job creation.”

Western Cape Minister of Finance, Deidré Baartman, noted that women entrepreneurs are vital to the provincial economy. “This achievement is the result of years of reform, growing a diverse pool of suppliers, and investment in digital tools such as the Western Cape Supplier Evidence Bank, which makes it easier for departments to identify and contract with credible, women-owned suppliers who can get the job done. It proves that inclusive growth is possible when governance and technology work hand in hand,” she said.

To ensure that this achievement is recognised and independently verified, Premier Winde and Minister Baartman have jointly written to the United Nations Development Programme, UN Women, and the World Bank requesting verification of whether the Western Cape Government is indeed the first government globally to reach this 30% milestone in women-owned procurement.

“Independent verification from the UN and World Bank will not only confirm our position but also help us to share this evidence-based approach with other governments across South Africa and the world,” the Premier and Minister said in their joint correspondence.

The report further highlights that 57.07% of procurement spend supported black-owned businesses, 25.29% went to SMMEs, and 6% to youth-owned enterprises - all achieved without set-asides or mandatory subcontracting. This is evidence that transformation and value-for-money are not mutually exclusive, and that you do not require tick box exercises in order to transform the economy.

During the 2024/25 financial year, the WCG invested R19.73 billion in goods and services across departments, with the Departments of Health and Wellness (R8 billion), Infrastructure (R5.3 billion), and Education (R3.6 billion) accounting for the majority of spending.

The Western Cape Government remains committed to expanding access, improving governance, continuously growing our pool of suppliers, increase our use of technology to foster fairness, and using transparent procurement as a tool for sustainable and inclusive growth - ensuring that every rand spent helps to build a stronger, fairer, and more prosperous province for all.