Empowering communities through local procurement

Empowering communities through local procurement

From Acquire Connected by Acquire Connected

November 19, 2025 · 45 min · Season 4 · Episode 5

About this episode

This episode discusses how mining companies in South Africa can create lasting community change through local procurement and data-driven social performance.

In today’s episode, we’re looking at how unpacking how mining companies in South Africa can move from simply ticking boxes to creating lasting change in a community around a mine operation. We’re joined by Dr. Poobie Pillay , Head of Transformation Sustainability at Ivanplats, and Maritha Erasmus , who leads our social performance solution, Insite , here at Acquire. When it comes to social performance, South Africa has strict regulations when it comes to managing the people invested and involved in mining. But beyond the scorecards and reporting frameworks, today we discuss what real transformation of a local community surrounding a mine operation can look like and how does data play a role in this? Dr. Pillay shares his work on a local procurement model that partners established businesses with women and youth in rural areas — helping to build locally owned enterprises with the backing of mentorship and funding. We’ll also explore the powerful role of data in making social impact visible, and how companies can balance corporate procurement goals with genuine community empowerment. From enterprise development to impact measurement, this episode is all about using procurement as a…

People in this episode

Guests: Dr. Poobie Pillay, Maritha Erasmus

Topics covered

  • local procurement
  • community empowerment
  • social performance
  • mining industry
  • data impact
  • enterprise development

Keywords

  • local procurement model
  • community transformation
  • mining regulations
  • data in social impact
  • enterprise development
  • mentorship
  • funding

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ivanplats, Acquire

Places: South Africa

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