By Vlad Nadymov Updated 3 min read
Data as of
South African organs of state buy under a mix of laws, regulations and Treasury instructions. National and provincial departments, municipalities and public entities publish their tenders on the eTender Publication Portal, and every supplier must be on the Central Supplier Database. In 2026 the planned single procurement law failed in court. This guide explains the portal, the registration, the scoring and the ruling.
eTenders and the CSD
- The eTender Publication Portal (etenders.gov.za) lists the tenders and awards of national and provincial departments, municipalities and public entities. Many buyers also publish on their own sites.
- The Central Supplier Database (CSD) is the National Treasury register of suppliers. Organs of state check that a supplier is registered and tax compliant on the CSD before they award.
How to bid
- Register the company on the CSD and keep the details current.
- Make sure that SARS shows a valid tax compliance status.
- Find the tender on etenders.gov.za or the buyer’s site, and attend the briefing session if it is compulsory.
- Complete the SBD forms, the pricing schedule and the B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit.
- Submit the bid as the notice states, before the closing date and time.
Requirements for government contractors in South Africa (2026)
What a company needs to register, bid and sign a public contract in South Africa. Checked on against the sources at the end of this section.
| Procurement law | Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) and Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) with their supply chain management rules; Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act 5 of 2000 (PPPFA) and the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022; National Treasury instructions. The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 never came into force and was declared invalid on 17 September 2026. |
|---|---|
| Regulator | National Treasury, Office of the Chief Procurement Officer (OCPO) |
| E-procurement portal | eTender Publication Portal (etenders.gov.za) and the Central Supplier Database (CSD) (www.etenders.gov.za) |
| Supplier registration | Register on the Central Supplier Database (CSD) before you do business with an organ of state. Find tenders on the eTender Publication Portal and on the buyer’s own site. |
| Foreign companies | Foreign companies can bid, but preference points for B-BBEE status and local production requirements in designated sectors favour South African suppliers. South Africa is not a party to the WTO GPA. |
| Performance security | Construction contracts often require a performance guarantee under the CIDB forms; the tender states it. |
| Domestic preference | The PPPFA uses a points system: 80/20 for tenders up to ZAR 50 million and 90/10 above, with the preference points for specific goals such as B-BBEE status. Designated sectors have minimum local content. |
| Language | English |
| Digital signature | Tenders are submitted as the tender notice states, on paper or electronically. |
| Complaints | Objections and complaints go to the organ of state, the provincial treasury or the National Treasury OCPO; disputes can go to court. |
Documents to prepare before you bid in South Africa
- CSD registration number
- SARS tax compliance status (TCS PIN or CSD tax status)
- Standard bidding documents (SBD forms), such as declarations of interest
- B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit, to claim preference points
- Proof of local content, when the tender is in a designated sector
What changed in 2025 and 2026
On 17 September 2026 the Constitutional Court declared the Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 invalid, because Parliament changed it without enough public participation. The existing regime stays in force.
Sources: Constitutional Court: Premier of the Western Cape Government v Speaker of the National Assembly [2026] ZACC 37 (17 September 2026); Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr: Reflections on the Constitutional Court’s Public Procurement Act judgment (13 October 2026); eTender Publication Portal; Central Supplier Database; National Treasury: Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022.
How bids are scored: PPPFA preference points
The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act and the Preferential Procurement Regulations 2022 set two systems:
| Tender value | Price points | Specific goals points |
|---|---|---|
| Up to ZAR 50 million | 80 | 20 |
| Above ZAR 50 million | 90 | 10 |
The tender states the specific goals, often the B-BBEE status level. In designated sectors, bids must also meet minimum local content.
The Public Procurement Act ruling of 2026
The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 was meant to replace the fragmented rules with one law. It was published in July 2024 but never came into force. On 17 September 2026, in Premier of the Western Cape Government v Speaker of the National Assembly [2026] ZACC 37, the Constitutional Court declared it invalid. The reason was procedural: Parliament made material amendments, mainly to Chapter 4 on preferential procurement, without enough public participation.
For suppliers, little changes in practice. The PFMA, the MFMA, the PPPFA, the 2022 regulations, the Treasury instructions and each buyer’s supply chain management policy still apply. Parliament can pass a new law after proper public participation.
South African public procurement in numbers
The charts use the eTenders award records that Sell to State indexes. Our South Africa data has 9,864 award records since November 2024, and only some state a value, so read the shares as indicative. Half of the awards with a value are above ZAR 12m.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development published the most awards since November 2025: 205. The CSIR, SARS and Ingquza Hill Local Municipality follow.
Of the companies that won a contract in the period, 71% won exactly one.
Track South African tenders with Sell to State
Sell to State indexes eTenders award records with the buyer, the winner and the value, so you can search them with other countries and save the searches you need. Search South Africa tenders, or read the guides for Eswatini, Kenya and Rwanda.
