Abstract: The reform of South African public procurement law has been on the cards for many years. Following years of promises from government leaders and officials about a new procurement law, a draft Public Procurement Bill for South Africa was eventually published for public comment in February 2020. The draft Bill proposes a complete overhaul of South African procurement law by consolidating existing procurement rules into a single statutory regime. It creates new institutional structures and a new dispute resolution process. There are, however, a number of problems with the draft Bill that should be addressed before the draft can proceed on its path to becoming a new overarching procurement statute in South Africa. This contribution introduces a special edition of the African Public Procurement Law Journal focusing on the draft Bill. In subsequent contributions, specific aspects of the draft Bill will be considered in more detail.