IYBA-SEED Country Team visits South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC): Strengthening the Enterprise Development Ecosystem Through Collaboration and Learning
What does supplier diversity look like in action? As part of the Project’s MEAL onboarding workshops, the South African country team visited the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) to find out. The visit opened a window into how SASDC is transforming South Africa’s supplier development landscape — building inclusion, innovation, and opportunity from the ground up.
What does supplier diversity look like in action? As part of the Project’s MEAL onboarding workshops, the South African country team visited the South African Supplier Diversity Council (SASDC) to find out. The visit opened a window into how SASDC is transforming South Africa’s supplier development landscape — building inclusion, innovation, and opportunity from the ground up. Joining the team was Caroline Guidemann who is the IYBA-SEED MEAL & Knowledge Sharing Component Lead from Expertise France, one of the project’s implementing partners.
The Investing in Young Businesses in Africa Supporting Entrepreneurial Ecosystems Development (IYBA-SEED) Project has a unique constellation in that it is a European multi-partner programme that mobilises resources and expertise for greater efficiency and impact; funded by the European Union and the French, German and Slovak governments, and implemented by five agencies: Expertise France, Enabel (Belgium), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia) and SNV (Netherlands).
The visit formed part of a broader effort to understand how the SASDC is strengthening ecosystems — building inclusive value-added supply chains, advancing green transformation, and weaving opportunities for black-owned small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), women and young people.
Through Project EMBRACE, SASDC aims to help Black women and youth take part in the economy by improving access to markets and transforming value chains to support an inclusive green economy.
“We’re not just funding activities — we’re supporting an ecosystem that connects people, knowledge and opportunity. That’s where transformation takes root,” said Gary Joseph CEO of SASDC.
Supplier Diversity Academy (SD) and Enterprise and Supplier Diversity (ESD) Community of Practice (CoP)
A highlight of the visit was learning about SASDC’s progress in establishing the Supplier Diversity Academy (SD), which is transitioning its training programmes toward formal accreditation under the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) framework.
The Academy focuses on workplace readiness, tender readiness, and leadership development, including an entrepreneurial “mini-MBA” to help business leaders strengthen strategy and growth capabilities.
Crucially, the training integrates gender responsiveness, green adaptation, and sustainability — equipping SMMEs to compete in a changing economic landscape. Through its online learning platform, SASDC provides practical toolkits and knowledge modules, combining accessibility with real-world application.
“Sustainability isn’t just for big corporates — small businesses can use green and inclusive practices to strengthen their competitive edge,” reiterated Gary.
SASDC continues to drive meaningful corporate-led supplier diversity beyond just compliance. The organisation works with corporate members to ensure that black-owned and black-managed suppliers are transaction-ready, compliant, and equipped to drive their own growth strategies.
Their certification and due diligence processes verify data in real time and provide on-the-spot advisory support. This approach not only ensures accountability but also builds capacity and trust within the ecosystem — connecting suppliers, corporates, and support institutions in meaningful ways.
“Each verification visit becomes a mentoring opportunity — a chance to weave transparency, knowledge, and growth into the transformation journey,” confirmed Glynnis Jackson, Project Embrace Manager.
The engagement also highlighted SASDC’s driving force in the Enterprise and Supplier Development Community of Practice (ESD CoP) — a collaborative network of corporates, government, state-owned development agencies, and practitioners. This platform promotes peer learning, shared standards, and collective accountability, creating stronger links across South Africa’s enterprise and supplier development ecosystem.
By fostering coordination and shared learning through initiatives like the ESD CoP, partners are collectively addressing systemic barriers to transformation - from market access and procurement reform to skills alignment and policy implementation.
SASDC is gearing up to launch one of its most inspiring initiatives yet — a programme focused on entrepreneurship training for young offenders, particularly women, in partnership with the Department of Correctional Services.
The initiative will provide practical, accredited training that helps participants reintegrate into society, build sustainable livelihoods, and reduce the risk of reoffending — setting in motion ripple effects of inclusion and empowerment.
By connecting public institutions, funders, corporates, and training bodies, this ecosystem-based approach aims to transform potential into purpose and strengthen social cohesion.
This MEAL site visit reaffirmed the importance of learning from project partners and connecting insights across programmes to strengthen impact. Transformation doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens through ecosystem weaving, where partnerships, learning, and collaboration intersect.
The Weaving approach in South Africa highlights this — the collective action of changemakers, enterprises, and organisations driving an inclusive, sustainable economy.
About IYBA SEED
IYBA-SEED strengthens entrepreneurial ecosystems and improves access to business development services for early-stage businesses led by women and youth.
The programme contributes to building resilient economies and creating decent jobs for young people and women by improving access to development services for businesses in the pre-seed phase.
Working across promising sectors such as agriculture and agribusiness, tourism, mobility, digital innovation, finance, creative and cultural industries, and the green and circular economy, IYBA-SEED empowers local actors to collaborate and create sustainable impact.
IYBA-SEED is funded by the European Union and the French, German, and Slovak governments, and implemented by five agencies: Expertise France, Enabel (Belgium), GIZ (Germany), SAIDC (Slovakia), and SNV (Netherlands).
The initiative operates in Benin, Kenya, Senegal, South Africa, and Togo, with activities in South Africa focusing on five provinces: Gauteng, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga.