Purchasing Consortium for Higher Education in Southern Africa

COLLABORATE, the 2019 PURCO SA Annual Conference and Exhibition is the best way to deepen your knowledge about higher education procurement, network, and connect with higher education buyers and decision-makers from almost every South African university, TVET College and their allied institutions.

Procurement executives, buyers and financial decision-makers from almost every higher education institution in South Africa, Namibia and Botswana will attend COLLABORATE, the 2019 PURCO SA Annual Conference and Exhibition. As you already know, these professionals are looking for information, products, and services to optimise their current environments and plan for the future.

While we continue to deliver collaborative success, there is a much greater opportunity to reap immediate benefits. I am proud of the way our Consortium and Members responded last year to the challenges of constrained funding and an uncertain economy to deliver improved student access, welfare and academic outcomes.

The higher education sector continues to face significant headwinds, and the past year again presented our community with challenges that taxed our collective ingenuity.

According to a Stats SA report, released in October, Universities spent less money on computers, staff, transport, furniture and student accommodation in the 2017/18 financial year, mostly because of the #FeesMustFall and #OutsourcingMustFall campaigns.

THANK YOU Thank you to all our higher education members and exhibitors who supported and participated in the 2018 PURCO SA Conference and Exhibition. We had almost 600 participants at the event this year, with 94 exhibition stands - a new record for PURCO SA despite the difficult economic times.

Rector and Vice-Chancellor of UFS, Prof Francis Petersen will present the welcoming Keynote Address at the 2018 PURCO SA Conference, to be held at...

The 2018 Conference Keynote Address will be delivered by the internationally respected Rob van den Wijngaard, from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

I encourage you to support and participate in the 2018 PURCO SA Conference and Exhibition. The three day event and associated evening functions provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn, connect with your higher education colleagues, engage with suppliers, and have a little fun.

PURCO SA staff will not be in the office on Wednesday from 09:30. We will be visiting Botshabelo Babies home and Tumelo Home in Ivory Park for...