DTI Tenders in South Africa: How to Find and Bid on dtic Opportunities

DTI tenders are procurement notices issued by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition of South Africa. Businesses looking for government contracts in manufacturing, investment promotion, industrial infrastructure or related services monitor these notices. This guide explains where the dtic publishes its tenders, the legal framework that governs them, and the steps a supplier takes to verify a tender before responding.

What dtic tenders are

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, referred to as the dtic, publishes requests for quotations and formal tenders for goods and services required by the department. These procurement notices appear on the dtic's dedicated tenders page, https://www.thedtic.gov.za/procurement-and-tenders/tenders/, which the department updates as new opportunities arise. The dtic manages a wide portfolio that spans industrial policy, trade regulation and economic development; its procurement therefore covers professional services, construction, information technology and general supplies. As a national department, the dtic falls within the framework established for organs of state in the national sphere of government.

Where to find current dtic tenders

Two official channels list dtic procurement notices. The first is the dtic's own tenders page at https://www.thedtic.gov.za/procurement-and-tenders/tenders/. The second is the National Treasury eTenders portal at https://www.etenders.gov.za/, which aggregates public sector procurement notices across national, provincial and local government in South Africa. The portal description states that the site provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations at all spheres of government.

Bidanga also collects South African public tenders, including dtic notices, updated daily from open data. You can explore the country guide for broader search methods: tenders in South Africa.

To do business with a national department such as the dtic, a supplier must be registered on the Central Supplier Database (CSD), and most tender notices ask for the supplier's CSD registration number. National Treasury SCM Instruction No. 4A of 2016/17, published on the Office of the Chief Procurement Officer website, prescribes the utilisation of the mandatory Central Supplier Database by accounting officers and authorities. The instruction establishes a single database to verify supplier information centrally. Registration is free at https://secure.csd.gov.za/.

Legal framework for dtic procurement

South Africa's public procurement system rests on constitutional and statutory texts that apply to the dtic.

Section 217(1) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, states: "When an organ of state in the national, provincial or local sphere of government, or any other institution identified in national legislation, contracts for goods or services, it must do so in accordance with a system which is fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective." This provision appears on the Department of Justice website at https://www.justice.gov.za/legislation/constitution/chp13.html.

The Public Finance Management Act 1 of 1999 regulates financial management in the national government and provincial governments. The long title of the Act, published by National Treasury at https://www.treasury.gov.za/legislation/pfma/act.pdf, states that the statute is designed "To regulate financial management in the national government and provincial governments; to ensure that all revenue, expenditure, assets and liabilities of those governments are managed efficiently and effectively; to provide for the responsibilities of persons entrusted with financial management in those governments; and to provide for matters connected therewith." This Act governs how the dtic manages its budget and procurement spending.

The Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act 5 of 2000 gives effect to section 217(3) of the Constitution. Section 2(1) of the Act, available at https://lawlibrary.org.za/akn/za/act/2000/5/eng@2000-02-03/source, states: "An organ of state must determine its preferential procurement policy and implement it within the following framework." The long title adds that the Act is designed "To give effect to section 217(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, by providing a framework for the implementation of the procurement policy contemplated in section 217(2) of that Constitution." The dtic, as an organ of state, falls within the scope of this Act.

On 17 September 2026, the Constitutional Court declared the Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 unconstitutional and invalid. The judgment, handed down in City of Cape Town and Others v Speaker of the National Assembly and Others, is published by SAFLII at https://www.saflii.org/za/cases/ZACC/2026/37.html. As a result, procurement by national departments such as the dtic continues to be governed by the PFMA and PPPFA framework rather than the invalidated Act.

Preferential points and evaluation

Section 2(1) of the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act 5 of 2000 requires that an organ of state determine its preferential procurement policy and implement it within the statutory framework. The dtic's tender notices reflect this by specifying the evaluation criteria and the weighting between price and preference points for each opportunity. The Office of the Chief Procurement Officer publishes the applicable regulations at https://ocpo.treasury.gov.za/.

The specific points allocation varies by bid; bidders must verify the exact requirements in the tender notice, because the notice states the applicable goals and the ratio between price and preference for that contract.

Verifying tender validity and submitting a bid

The dtic warns that fraudulent RFQs circulate in its name. The dtic tenders page states that suppliers should verify the validity of any RFQ or tender request by contacting the dtic's Supply Chain Management via email at ThedticRFQenquiries@thedtic.gov.za or the Customer Contact Centre at 0861 843 384.

Each tender notice sets out the closing date, the briefing session if any, and the channel for submission. The bidder returns its offer through the channel indicated in that notice before the stated closing date and time.

Rules outside South Africa

Procurement rules differ in other African countries; see Bidanga's guide to African government procurement websites by country.