Buying local may have unintended consequences to Pan African trade, said Prof Douglas Boateng at a round table sponsored by consultants KPMG and professional body CIPS.
“Buying local is a good policy. But if South Africa has ‘Buy SA’ and Kenya has ‘Buy Kenya’ and Ghana has ‘Buy Ghana’, then who is going to buy from whom? A heavy local focus may have disastrous consequences in the future,” said Prof Boateng, a member of SmartProcurement’s Editorial Board and Africa’s’ first extraordinary Professor for supply and value chain management.
He advocates ‘Buy Africa’ as an initiative that could break down the barriers that are now inhibiting trade between African states.
Listen to his interview on Classic FM to hear his views on purchasing from the rest of Africa, elevating the role of Government’s Chief Procurement Officer and strengthening Africa’s purchasing through strategic sourcing.
