By Emily Setona
BLOEMFONTEIN – Women and youth will no longer be left on the sidelines of the Free State economy, Premier MaQueen Letsoha-Mathae declared, insisting that a 40% procurement quota has for women-owned businesses must become standard practice across government.
Speaking at the Post-Budget Vote Breakfast Engagement held at the Naval Hill Planetarium last week, the Premier stressed that the province’s economic future hinged on inclusion and deliberate support for small businesses. The event was hosted by the Free State Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Finance, in collaboration with the Black Management Forum (BMF) and the University of the Free State.
Letsoha-Mathae said the 7th administration was committed to ensuring that government contracts are a springboard for Free State entrepreneurs, particularly women and youth.
“Women’s participation in the economy is non-negotiable. We will advocate for Free State businesspeople to be prioritised when companies are appointed to work with government. A 40% women representation in procurement will become the norm,” she said to loud applause.
The Premier criticized both government departments and financial institutions for failing to adequately support small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs). She challenged banks to shed their conservative approach and invest in community-based initiatives.
“Financial institutions must come to the party. They have a social responsibility to plough back into communities. One way is to ensure SMMEs and women-owned businesses are capacitated and treated fairly when they seek funding. An inclusive ecosystem is fundamental if we are to build sustainable local economies,” she said.
The call for transformation found strong backing from business leaders. Deputy President of the BMF, Lilly Moabi, pledged the organisation’s support.
“Everyone is ready to support our government. We are passionate about the Free State. But citizens must also play their part in moving this province to where it needs to be,” Moabi said.
MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Toto Makume, said the province could not afford to repeat patterns that excluded the black majority from economic participation.
“In building an equal society, we must alter the patterns of the economy. This cannot be business as usual. We need new entrants in key sectors, and this requires collaboration between government, business and civil society,” Makume argued.
He added that a transformed economy was essential to tackle unemployment and poverty, warning that economic growth without inclusion would entrench inequality.
For the Premier, the message was clear: economic transformation is not an abstract ideal but a practical necessity.
“Women and youth must be at the forefront of decision-making and ownership in business. Without them, our vision of a prosperous and inclusive Free State will not be realized,” Letsoha-Mathae concluded.
With unemployment and inequality continuing to undermine the province’s stability, the commitment to enforce women’s representation in procurement could mark a turning point—if backed by genuine action from both government and the private sector.
