Major retailers run small supplier programmes because they need new products and because supplier development counts towards their own scorecards. For a small producer, these programmes are the most realistic route onto a national shelf, because they fund the certification and systems work that otherwise makes the requirements unaffordable.
The programmes vary, but what they assess does not.
What the programmes provide
Support meeting food safety and quality certification requirements, help with packaging, labelling and barcoding, mentorship on costing and supply planning, and in some cases improved payment terms or a guaranteed initial listing.
The certification support is the valuable part. It is the barrier that stops most small producers, and once met it makes you supplyable to any retailer rather than only the sponsor.
What they assess
Whether the product is genuinely differentiated, whether you can produce consistently at the volumes required, whether your costing leaves the retailer a margin, and whether the business is compliant enough to be loaded as a vendor.
Consistency is weighted more heavily than most applicants expect. A retailer cannot build a shelf plan around a supplier whose output varies.
How to enter
Apply through the retailer’s supplier portal or small supplier programme rather than approaching store managers, and prepare before applying: product specifications, costings, capacity, certifications and photographs.
Selling into a few independent stores first is legitimate and useful, because sales data is the most persuasive thing you can bring. Our guide to getting a product into a major retailer covers the full requirement list.
Prepare for what follows the listing
Winning a listing creates a cash flow problem: you fund production while the retailer pays on terms. Suppliers who accept volumes they cannot finance fail while holding the contract they wanted.
Get the compliance floor in place first, including registration with current annual returns at the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission, tax compliance, a B-BBEE affidavit and a Certificate of Acceptability for food premises.
Frequently asked questions
Why do retailers run small supplier programmes?
Because they need new products and because supplier development counts towards their own transformation scorecards.
What is the most valuable support they offer?
Help meeting certification requirements, because that is the barrier stopping most small producers and it transfers to any retailer.
What do they assess most heavily?
Consistency of supply, alongside differentiation, costing that leaves the retailer a margin, and compliance.
How should I apply?
Through the retailer’s supplier portal or programme, prepared with specifications, costings, capacity and certifications.
What is the risk after winning a listing?
Cash flow. You fund production while the retailer pays on terms, so never accept volumes you cannot finance.
Further reading
Originally published in August 2018. Updated September 2026 to explain how small suppliers win retail listings rather than profiling one award winner.
