Furniture Portal to build the sector

South African furniture manufacturers now have an online portal on which they can showcase their products to consumers. 

Launched by Proudly South African, in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic), the Furniture Portal aims to assist the sector, which has suffered a decline in recent years, and has the capacity for massive job creation.

“The value of the furniture industry in South Africa is enormous, and we want to tap into the procurement of furniture especially by corporate South Africa, and this portal will be a place to which we can drive demand,” says Chief Executive Officer of Proudly South African Eustace Mashimbye.

The portal will be a valuable resource for any buyer of furniture, from private consumers to large corporates and the public sector.

Mashimbye says local furniture manufacturers have the potential to grow, due to the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act, which states that government departments must consider South African manufacturers when making purchases. 

When buying office furniture, 85% has to be produced locally and 100% of any school furniture has to be from a local manufacturer. For bed bases and mattresses used in places like hospitals, 90% have to be locally manufactured.

“We look forward to seeing the content of the portal expand now that it has been launched. We encourage anyone who procures furniture to refer to the portal before looking anywhere else,” says Mashimbye.

The Director of Resource Based Industries at the dtic, Tafadzwa Nyanzunda, says the portal will help Proudly South African reach the objectives of the South African Furniture Industry Masterplan, which was adopted earlier this year.

“We are delighted that this portal will provide solutions to the companies that do not only have limited resources in terms of marketing their products, but will also empower them on ecommerce and expertise.

“This platform will certainly increase the visibility of local furniture brands and will deliver invaluable data regarding consumer shopping patterns,” he says.

To register on the Furniture Portal, visit www.proudlysa.co.za/covid_19/furniture/furniture.php