Nonhlanhla Mtwisha

Nonhlanhla Mtwisha,
Senior Manager: Supply Chain Performance, University of Johannesburg

Ms Nonhlanhla Mtwisha (CSCA) is an accomplished Supply Chain Management professional with over 25 years of experience across the Automotive, Supply Chain Consulting, Mining and Higher Education Sectors. She currently heads the Supply Chain Performance and Contracts portfolio within the University of Johannesburg’s Financial Support Services Division. Since joining UJ in 2015, she has contributed to strengthening supply chain governance, supplier relationship management, contract management, Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD), and Preferential Procurement.

A key focus of her work is advancing supplier development and transformation by creating opportunities for SMMEs and designated groups to participate meaningfully and sustainably in institutional supply chains. Her leadership and contribution to UJ's ESD and Preferential Procurement initiatives have supported the University’s progression from a previously non-compliant B-BBEE position to achieving and maintaining Level 3 B-BBEE recognition.

Ms Mtwisha is currently pursuing her Master’s degree, with research focused on Enterprise and Supplier Development and its contribution to SMME growth in South Africa. She is a member of the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA) and SAPICS and serves as a Supplier Diversity & Sustainable Procurement Inclusion Advisory Board Member of the I AM ME Foundation. She is passionate about positioning procurement as a strategic enabler of transformation, sustainable SMME growth and inclusive economic development.

Beyond Compliance: Reimagining Enterprise and Supplier Development in Higher Education
From Procurement Spend to Sustainable SMME Growth

Supplier development in Higher Education has the potential to achieve far more than compliance. It can strengthen supplier capability, improve performance, stimulate innovation and build more resilient and sustainable supply chains.

In this interactive breakaway session, representatives from the University of Johannesburg (UJ) and Durban University of Technology (DUT) share their experiences of establishing and implementing Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programmes. Rather than presenting two institutional success stories, the session takes the form of an open and practical conversation about what motivated their programmes, what has worked, what has not worked as expected, and what they have learned along the way.

The discussion broadens supplier development beyond SMMEs and considers the diverse Higher Education supplier ecosystem, from emerging businesses to established suppliers, specialist providers, manufacturers, professional services and technology companies.

UJ and DUT will explore practical approaches to building supplier capability, improving procurement readiness, expanding market access and measuring meaningful impact. They will also consider how institutions can avoid creating supplier dependency and instead support businesses to become competitive, sustainable participants in broader markets.

The session offers practical lessons for institutions seeking to establish, strengthen or rethink their own supplier-development programmes.