Tender Guides
Practical, plain-language guides to winning South African tenders — written for first-time bidders and small businesses, from registration to pricing.
How to Find Government Tenders in South Africa
Where South African government tenders are published, how the eTenders portal works, and how to stop missing opportunities — a practical guide for first-time and experienced bidders.
Documents You Need to Bid on a Government Tender
The standard compliance pack for South African tenders — CSD registration, SARS tax pin, CIPC documents, B-BBEE affidavit — plus the industry-specific certificates that catch bidders out.
How to Register on the Central Supplier Database (CSD)
Step-by-step CSD registration: what you need before you start, how long it takes, common verification failures, and how to get your MAAA supplier number.
CIDB Grading Explained
What CIDB grades 1–9 mean, the classes of works (GB, CE, EB, EP, ME), the maximum tender value per grade, and how to upgrade your contractor grading.
How to Price a Bill of Quantities (BOQ)
How a BOQ works, where bidders lose money when pricing one, how market rates and preliminaries fit in, and when you need a Quantity Surveyor instead of a rate book.
SBD Forms Explained
What each Standard Bidding Document form is for — SBD 1, SBD 4, SBD 6.1, SBD 8, SBD 9 — how to complete them without disqualifying yourself, and the most common mistakes.
B-BBEE Requirements for Tenders
How B-BBEE status levels translate into preference points under the 80/20 and 90/10 systems, when a sworn affidavit is enough, and what evaluators actually check.
Compulsory Briefing Sessions, Explained
Why tenders hold briefing sessions, what 'compulsory' means for your bid's validity, what to bring, and how to handle virtual briefings and attendance registers.
The 30% Subcontracting Rule, Explained
How the PPPFA subcontracting condition works on contracts above R30 million, who qualifies as a subcontractor, and how smaller firms win work on major projects.
Mining Tenders & Vendor Portals in South Africa
How procurement works at South African mining houses, why vendor registration matters more than tender notices, and which portals suppliers should be registered on.
10 Tender Mistakes That Get Bids Disqualified
The most common reasons South African bids are declared non-responsive — from missing briefing registers to unsigned SBD forms — and the checklist that prevents them.