Each November, the world prepares for a global ritual of discounts and consumerism known as Black Friday. Prices fall, volumes rise and economies experience a fleeting surge in retail activity. Yet for South Africa, a country in search of deeper economic transformation, perhaps the more meaningful question is this: what if Black Friday became a catalyst for building long-term industrial capacity rather than fueling short-term consumption?
This is the premise behind “Sponsor a Black Industrialist” a term dubbed by Uzenzele Holdings, a call to shift focus from price to purpose. Rather than chasing sales, it proposes investing in South Africa’s most strategic asset: Black-owned industrial capacity that can expand production, create jobs, and drive localisation.
The strategic imperative
South Africa’s industrial policy framework is well established. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (the dtic) defines a Black industrialist as a Black South African who owns and manages an enterprise that manufactures goods or adds value through processing or beneficiation.
Since the inception of the Black Industrialists Programme, over 1 700 Black-owned and managed firms have been supported, unlocking more than R24 billion in funding.
The results are promising, but they highlight a deeper challenge: while finance is often accessible, market access remains constrained. Many Black Industrialists are well-qualified producers with competitive pricing and technical competence but face limited buyer integration. Without sustained demand, finance alone cannot create scale or long-term resilience.
Corporates now have a chance to bridge this gap. By sponsoring a Black Industrialist, they can convert transformation spending into tangible supply relationships that strengthen their value chains.
From philanthropy to partnership
Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) spending remains one of the largest transformation investments across the private sector, accounting for 1 to 5 percent of net profit after tax in most major corporations. Yet much of this spend still pursues compliance metrics rather than measurable commercial outcomes.
Sponsorship reframes this approach. It positions transformation not as philanthropy but as partnership; a collaboration where corporates act as market enablers. Sponsorship involves introducing suppliers to real demand, guaranteeing purchase orders, or aligning working-capital finance to fulfil contracts. It builds trust and operational continuity, not dependency.
Addressing risk and credibility
The B-BBEE system faces growing public scrutiny for instances where empowerment beneficiaries have misused their access to wealth, with lifestyle spending on luxury cars, property, and visible consumption, overshadowing business sustainability.
Such cases erode confidence in transformation, suggesting that some empowerment outcomes are cosmetic rather than catalytic. Reports show that superficial empowerment structures often fail to contribute meaningfully to GDP growth or job creation.
This is where seasoned Black Industrialists are critical. They represent a class of entrepreneurs who have moved beyond early-stage funding and now require structured market access and affordable capital to expand. They have proven track records, export-ready facilities, and audited financials. What they need are better procurement linkages and more flexible financing instruments.
However, traditional development finance institutions (DFIs) often impose stringent collateral requirements and short repayment horizons that make it difficult for even well-performing industrialists to access expansion capital.
By focusing on rigorous qualifying criteria: proven manufacturing capacity, buyer references, compliance systems, and readiness to deliver, corporates can confidently sponsor credible partners. This reduces reputational risk while amplifying the economic multiplier effect of their ESD budgets.
The macroeconomic opportunity
South Africa stands at an inflection point. Manufacturing output remains under pressure, but localisation policies and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) present new possibilities for regional competitiveness. Sectors such as automotive components, green energy materials, and agro-processing are expanding, with strong policy and investor support.
Sponsoring seasoned Black Industrialists aligns with this shift. It supports government objectives to broaden participation while improving private-sector resilience through supplier diversity. Each successful partnership translates into new jobs, import replacement and GDP growth.
A call to action
This Black Friday, South Africa has a chance to redefine what it means to “Go Black.” Instead of cutting prices, let us cut time-to-market for the country’s industrial entrepreneurs. Instead of competing for customers, let us compete for industrial performance.
Sponsoring a Black Industrialist is not a charity event, it is an investment in productivity, in competitiveness, and in South Africa’s long-term growth. The question is not whether the country can afford to sponsor a Black Industrialist. The real question is whether it can afford not to.