PICK N PAY yesterday called for more women entrepreneurs to integrate into the retail supply chain, saying it had spent R5.4 billion on black women-owned small businesses this year.
It said Pick n Pay customers were purchasing quality goods produced or sourced locally by women-owned businesses.
The retail group has more than 2 000 black-owned small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) in its supply chain, while more than 50 percent of all black-owned SMMEs were women-owned, it said.
Pick n Pay said its spend on black women-owned SMMEs increased from R2bn in the 2019 financial year to R5.4bn in 2021.
Mishinga Seyuba-Kombo, the head of enterprise development at Pick n Pay, said: “Women-owned business are a really important part of our supply chain. They help us provide an excellent service and some of the best-loved products to happy customers.”
The retail group said its Enterprise and Supplier Development programme provided a holistic package of support for SMMEs, and provided opportunities for them within its supply chain.
“We want to encourage more women to take that leap of faith and become entrepreneurs. Many of these businesses or services have the potential to succeed and help create jobs. It’s a real privilege to stand behind them and support them all the way,” said Seyuba-Kombo.
BUSINESS REPORT