The ANC says it will sell space at its policy conference next week for business leaders to network with party heavyweights.

The ANC has invited 60 companies to hang out with its leaders at next week's national general council, but at a price.

"In line with international best practice, the Progressive Business Forum (PBF) and African National Congress (ANC) will involve the business community on the sidelines of the ANC National General Council (NGC)," the party said in a statement.

It said 60 companies - ranging from small and micro businesses to major corporations - would occupy 32 exhibition spaces alongside the plenary hall in the Durban Exhibition Centre, where the party's policy conference is scheduled to begin on Monday September 20.

The conference will be the first formal opportunity for the ANC Youth League to table and drive its proposal for the nationalisation of privately owned mines and its more recent call for the expropriation of private land to be given to blacks.

The conference will debate proposals for economic policy over the five years from 2012, when the ANC will meet again to elect a new leadership and to ratify a policy mandate for the new team.

The PBF is the ANC's fundraising initiative, which sells time with ministers and party leaders to business people willing to pay substantial amounts for the opportunity.

A similar "network lounge" was the most popular place for many to be at the ANC's watershed conference in Polokwane in 2007.

The facility was run by Nicholas Wolpe, a politically connected businessman and son of a former ANC activist, who reportedly charged companies up to R140 000 each to put up a stand.

Some served filter coffee, good whisky and snacks to senior delegates, business people and reporters covering the event.

The Sunday Times reported then that companies had paid around R4-million to be in the network lounge and that Wolpe had confirmed that he was not obliged to share the income with the party.

The ANC statement appeared to indicate that this year's facility would be run by its own PBF and that state-owned companies would not be invited to particiapate.

"The PBF has deliberately decided to ensure a good mix of companies, both in terms of size and sector, as the economy is dependent on the contribution of all. Since the event is meant to provide an opportunity for the private sector to engage the ANC, no parastatals have been invited to attend," the statement said.

It said all spaces had been taken but did not list the participants accepted.