RS South Africa, a trading brand of RS Group plc (LSE: RS1), a global provider of product and service solutions, has highlighted the growing pressures faced by procurement professionals responsible for maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) supplies across the country’s vital economic sectors. This follows the release of the 2025 Indirect Procurement Report: Tackling the Cost of Business, produced in association with the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS).
The report, now in its eighth year, provides insights into the priorities and challenges of procurement professionals working in manufacturing, energy, public services, and facilities management. Findings reveal that inflationary pressures, supply chain risks, and skills shortages continue to dominate the agenda, while environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations are rapidly becoming a business imperative.
Key concerns for MRO buyers include ensuring cost savings, maintaining ageing assets, contract compliance with preferred suppliers, and managing multiple stakeholder expectations across dispersed sites. In South Africa, where industries such as mining, energy, and manufacturing rely heavily on operational uptime, the resilience of supply chains and the ability to secure trusted, high-quality components are critical.
Commenting on the report’s relevance for the local market, Erick Wessels, Sales Director at RS South Africa, says: “Procurement professionals in the Sub-Saharan African region are operating in an environment shaped not only by global inflation and supply-chain pressures, but also by unique local challenges such as energy instability, infrastructure constraints, and the need to maintain older assets well beyond their original life cycles.”
Wessels adds: “At the same time, procurement leaders are being asked to deliver on ambitious sustainability goals while ensuring uninterrupted operations in sectors that underpin our economy. This makes strong supplier partnerships, risk mitigation strategies, and the adoption of best-practice procurement models more important than ever.”
The report also shows a sharp increase in initiatives around sustainable and ethical procurement, with nearly two-thirds of respondents globally identifying ESG as central to corporate strategy. Yet, cost pressures remain a barrier, with more than a third of professionals reluctant to pay a premium for sustainable products.
“For African organisations, the balancing act between cost control and sustainability is particularly complex. Working with trusted distributors who provide not just products, but also technical expertise, supplier vetting, and inventory management solutions, will be essential in building both resilience and efficiency into procurement strategies,” concludes Wessels.
The full 2025 Indirect Procurement report can be found here.
