Sasol has an estimated external pro-curement spend of R80 billion annually, 75% of which has been allocated to local businesses for a wide range of products and services such as maintenance services, utilities, general consumables and logistics readily available in the areas around Sasol’s operations.
Established and emerging businesses have equal opportunity to become suppliers of goods and services to the internationally integrated energy and chemical company and one of the world’s largest producers of synthetic fuels.
Kathu Masheleni, owner of Green Eden Nursery, is one of these emerging companies.
He says his turnover has increased by 80% since he secured a contract to manage Sasol’s ChemCity Industrial Park in Sasolburg three years ago. The company, which formerly operated as a nursery, takes care of the park’s wetlands by ensuring the growth of indigenous plants and the extermination of alien vegetation.
Masheleni says doing business with Sasol improved his nursery and his experience in and knowledge of biodiversity to the extent that he now feels more confident in approaching bigger companies for business. “The opportunities to procure from other companies are there, but we are not ready to market ourselves yet.”
Leon Minnie, owner of Ebenhaeser Engineering, a company that was established in 1967 and operated as a machine shop until 1983, supplies Sasol with stud bolts and threaded bar.
He says they have managed to secure a contract with Sasol every two years since 1984, which has significantly boosted their bottom line over the years.
Minnie says he believes that the reason why his company is so successful in securing contracts with Sasol is because of its competitive pricing, service delivery, quality control programme (it is listed as an ISO 9001 approved supplier) and its compliance with the BEE requirements.
Ebenhaeser Engineering, has won three awards from Sasol in best supplier categories, one in 2005 and two in 2009. Minnie advises business owners who want to become suppliers to Sasol to make sure they satisfy the key requirements of honesty, integrity, hard work, quality control, service delivery and competitive pricing.