Responsible Sourcing
Our responsible sourcing compliance program, which is integrated with Walmart’s global responsible sourcing program, establishes requirements to help ensure we further our commitment to buying and sourcing from responsible supply chains. Products should not be produced using forced, underage, or involuntary prison labour, and we expect suppliers to provide safe and healthy working conditions and protect workers from violence and harassment in the workplace.
Standards for Suppliers
Our Standards for Suppliers set expectations for anyone that supplies product to Massmart, including goods for resale and for Massmart’s own use. Suppliers are responsible for compliance with these Standards throughout their business and throughout the process of providing products to Massmart. This includes responsibility for the conduct of any suppliers, subcontractors, and agents they use as part of their Massmart business (including, for example, factories, processing facilities, and raw material, component, and ingredient providers).
Disclosure Requirements
Supplier transparency about the facilities used to manufacture products for us is a foundational aspect of our program. Supplier transparency and facility disclosure allows us to assess supply chain risk, monitor supplier compliance with our Standards for Suppliers, respond effectively to supply chain incidents, and deploy resources in a risk-based manner – all of which helps us earn and keep our customers’ trust.
Audit Requirements
We use third-party social, safety and environmental compliance audits to help us evaluate our suppliers’ overall compliance and to manage risk in the supply chain. These audits seek to monitor whether, among other things, workers are properly paid for the work they do, labour is voluntary, workers are not being exploited, facilities comply with employment age laws and standards, working hours are not excessive and are consistent with local laws and standards, and facilities meet health and safety laws and regulations.
Small Supplier Audit Alternative
In order to cater for specific challenges small and less mature suppliers face, while still providing Massmart with the ability to identify and mitigate risk, Massmart affords an alternative option to a traditional third-party audits. When an audit is normally required, small suppliers have the choice to submit social compliance audits from approved audit firms or participate in the approved small supplier program.
Visit the Walmart Responsible Sourcing Compliance hub.
Massmart and Wits University Partner to improve Tinned Seafood Genetic Identity Testing Process
Retail group Massmart has extended its long-standing partnership with the University of Witwatersrand’s Department of Molecular and Cell Biology by sponsoring Honours level postgraduate research that seeks to improve the technique used to extract genetic material from tinned seafood products.
Seafood Screening
We remain committed to ensuring we do not source any threatened, endangered or red-listed seafood species.
Embedding responsible business practices
Massmart has over 500 Private Label and direct import suppliers participating in our Responsible Sourcing Compliance programme to ensure what we are selling is responsibly sourced and sustainable from both an environmental and social perspective.
