Tag: Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD)

If you spend your days inside Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) transactions like I do, you will know the story by heart. Good businesses try to do the right thing by becoming sound empowerment partners. Then the deal stalls on one thing: money that is either too expensive, too risky or simply unavailable.

Despite meaningful progress in women’s participation in the economy, many women-led businesses across South Africa still face persistent challenges. These include limited access to markets and networks, as well as barriers to securing funding and digital tools.

South Africa stands at a pivotal moment. The transformative power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) now intersects with the urgent need for economic revitalisation. While AI holds immense promise, particularly for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector, realising this potential requires a strategic and united effort.

South Africa stands at a pivotal moment. Two months ago, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) unveiled a draft Transformation Fund Concept Document. This announcement sparked a bold conversation about the future of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE).

There is a problem with Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programmes in South Africa. We are finding out the nature of the problem and what can do about it. South Africa has a strong financial and capacity development landscape for Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs).

In the landscape of South Africa's corporate engagement within rural and peri-urban communities, a recurring narrative persists: a bias towards non-core Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programmes and interventions overshadows the essential need for holistic, forward-thinking ESD strategies to boost small business growth.

With over 13 years of working in the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) space, we have witnessed an evolving landscape of transformation. From verifying compliance to fostering inclusivity, his path has taken him from corporate corridors to government initiatives.

The Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission (B-BBEE Commission) has published a notice explaining how a complaint about fronting may be lodged and how it will respond. The B-BBEE Commission recently published an explanatory notice on its fronting investigations. It may investigate fronting on its own initiative or as a result of complaints received.

Since President Ramaphosa signed the Employment Equity Amendment Bill into law on 12 April 2023, there has been significant commentary - from positive to strongly negative - of the impact the amendments may have. Much of it has referred to Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) changes when there have in fact not been any amendments in terms of B-BBEE.

After years of sustained pressure especially from organisations like Sakeliga, the government relented in November last year and promulgated regulations stating that state-owned enterprises (SOEs) no longer have to comply with Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), requirements when awarding government contracts.