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Rex van Schalkwyk | 19 June 2023 Without a definition of the term ‘black’, the proposed water regulations are meaningless. The ANC government has re-racialised the SA body politic. The most recent example is the set of regulations that prescribe racial quotas for water licensing for bulk usage (predominantly by large irrigation farmers, but excluding mining). Subterranean and surface water was nationalised, together with mineral rights, by the ANC shortly after it came to political power. This means in effect that access to these valuable resources is accessible only upon application and as the prerogative of the government. Such vast powers can, of course, be abused. And abused they have been. The ANC has an oft-repeated agenda for the expropriation of property without compensation. Many critics of this policy have expressed the view that the immediate victims will be large-scale farmers, many of whom have extensive irrigation lands. These are surely the most valuable, and viable, farms in the country. Now the ANC has come up with a plan. Draft regulations published by the department of water & sanitation stipulate the shareholding to be held by “blacks” as a qualifier and precondition to the issue of a licence for the use of water above a certain threshold. There is a sliding scale, which terminates at 1-million cubic metres, in a prescribed period, at which level the entity must be controlled by a minimum 75% black ownership. It follows that a farming venture requiring this volume of water will be denied a licence if the racial target is not met. How is a successful irrigation farmer to contrive a 75% black ownership for his property without surrendering that portion, essentially for no reward? That will amount to expropriation without compensation done “voluntarily”. There are at least two fundamental problems with this sleight of hand: it is a form of legislation done by decree (regulation), whose substance can be legitimately realised only by an act of parliament; and the regulation in this form lacks certainty. Both failures are violations of the rule of law, which is a foundational principle of SA law. This essay will deal only with the second of the two failures; the first is an issue for another day. The rule of law decrees that a law made by a lawful authority must be certain: it must be certain as to its purpose and it must be certain as to its meaning. Moreover, it must be certain as to its method of application. Any form of ambiguity in the law renders it uncertain and therefore unenforceable. The question that arises regarding the draft regulations is the meaning to be attached to the word “black”. Is it, for instance, a generic term used, as the Americans do, to apply to any person of mixed race; to a person of Asian extraction; or a person who merely identifies with and has habitually assumed “black” habits and culture? What about someone who, in imitation of the transgender movement, simply identifies as black? This may, of course, be done for good reason. A close friend of mine whose grandfather went to war returned to find his son, a toddler when he left, in the care of a Basotho family, speaking only Sesotho and wearing what in Afrikaans is called a stertriempie. Does an objective test exist to define “blackness”? The apartheid government recognised this conundrum and understood that something had to be done about it. For this reason it came up with the Population Registration Act, whereby every citizen was classified according to race, which was recorded in that person’s identity document. An office for race classification was established to oversee the process of racial categorisation. Before the ANC government came to power it was recognised, very sensibly, that the continuation of this law was inimical to the nonracial dispensation the new constitutional order decreed, and it was unceremoniously scrapped by the outgoing National Party. Now, however, the ANC government has a need for a Population Registration Act again. Without a clear definition of the term “black”, and a corresponding definition of those who are not so qualified, the proposed regulations become meaningless, and therefore unlawful. The ANC must decide: is SA a nonracial democracy, or a re-racialised aristocracy akin to that of the apartheid government? • Van Schalkwyk, a former supreme court judge, is an author and chairs the Free Market Foundation board and rule of law panel. He writes in his personal capacity. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2023-06-19-rex-van-schalkwyk-the-anc-and-race-classification/

Siphelele Dludla | 19 June 2023 According to Statistics SA, at least 4.9 million people aged 15 to 34 remain unemployed in South Africa as the labour force keeps growing with matriculants and graduates. Tens of thousands of young people braved the elements and queued at various venues to apply for jobs opened by the Gauteng provincial government on Friday, underscoring the growing number of unemployed young people who are jobless amid subdued economic growth. The Gauteng government on Friday set up a Jobs Fair to open 8 000 opportunities for youth as part of commemorating the 47th anniversary of the Soweto uprising of June 16, 1976. The jobs included those for drivers, receptionists, cleaners, artisans, construction managers, communication officers, health practitioners, agricultural advisers, engineers, and chief financial officers. Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said Youth Day was not for speeches but for boosting the provincial economy with massive opportunities, and not handouts. According to Statistics SA, at least 4.9 million people aged 15 to 34 remain unemployed in South Africa as the labour force keeps growing with matriculants and graduates. This number rises dramatically to 9.2 million people between the ages of 15 and 34 when put together those not in any form of employment, education or training (NEET). South Africa’s economy has not been growing at the required rate to create enough jobs for the past 15 years. This trend is expected to continue this year as the economy is forecast to grow just above 0% mainly because intensified load shedding inhibiting activity and investment. Econometrix chief economist Dr Azar Jammine on Friday said that the youth unemployment crisis was being driven by a lack of adequate skills necessary to boost the economy. “Unfortunately, South Africa is a country with an economy that is less conducive towards providing jobs to the youth, many of the more artisanal types of jobs like plumbing, electricians, motor mechanics, welders, and that kind of jobs,” Jammine said. “We are being compelled to import a lot of those skills when there is a massive availability of unskilled labour that can be developed.” As the country commemorated Youth Day, a number of organisations placed the blame for the plight of young people directly at the doorstep of government. One of the critical factors identified for chronic youth unemployment was the lack of quality education and a lack of resources at the foundation phase and at the intermediate and higher education levels. SA Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi on Friday said a crisis had emerged that compromised quality of education, leading to 80% of learners being unable to read. “Failure at this stage, unfortunately, sets learners on a path of multiple learning barriers in their learning journey that are acquired and not innate,” Vavi said. “To ensure learners get quality education goes beyond the enshrinement of a right in a constitution; it requires the state with a different economic structure and the right fiscal framework to provide quality education.” There is a growing population of graduates who are unemployed, including doctors, nurses and a number of young people with unusable qualifications due to a mismatch of skills and the labour market in the economy. During his budget vote speech last month, Higher Education and Training Minister Blade Nzimande set his department a target of creating 110 500 workplace-based learning opportunities, registering 149 000 learners in skills development programmes, 23 000 learners in artisanal programmes, 21 000 learners to study artisanal trades, 32 550 learners to complete learnerships, and 6 450 learners to complete internships. Cosatu’s Young Workers’ Forum national secretary, Siyabonga Mkhize, called on the government to partner with the private sector to avert the growing skills deficit. “We need to expand internship and artisanship programmes, as well as the Presidential Employment and Youth Employment programmes in both the public and private sectors to afford young people the chance to enter the labour market, earn a salary and acquire the necessary skills and experience to find permanent jobs,” Mkhize said. “We need to extend the National Youth Development Agency’s (Nyda’s) mandate and programmes, in particular those that support youth entrepreneurship.” The Youth Employment Service (Yes) programme has recently reached the milestone of 1 million job opportunities since it was launched by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2019. The Nyda has also been allocated a further R250 million for the 2023/2024 financial year for the national youth service programme, a component of the presidential employment initiative that is aimed at training young people through participation in community services. However, the sentiment on the ground remained that the government continued to fail to deliver on its promise of a better life for all after 29 years in power. But speaking during the official commemoration of Youth Day in the Free State, Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and People with Disabilities, Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, disputed claims that the government had failed the youth in the country. “This government has made free education for young people even up to tertiary for poor people and for working class people. It’s free. During those days you wouldn’t go to these universities like UCT and Wits,” Dlamini Zuma said. “Young people must take opportunities that exist, they must inform themselves, they must be organised. The exhibitions, there are lots of opportunities so to say they are forgotten is far from the truth.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/sas-youths-flock-to-jobs-fair-amid-chronic-unemployment-in-the-15-to-34-year-age-bracket-7e44a0f6-492d-41d9-82ab-d44369ec61e3

Staff Writer | 18 June 2023 To escape the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) greylisting, the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) will amend the Companies Act to reveal the names of beneficial owners of companies in South Africa, reported the Sunday Times. This critical step towards South Africa’s removal from the FATF greylist was among the eight areas of strategic deficiencies identified by the FATF that required South Africa to address. According to the minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, a CIPC report on monitoring beneficial ownership and the amendments to the Companies Act to enable this will go to parliament this month. Among its critical recommendations, the FATF noted that South Africa needed to “ensure that competent authorities have timely access to accurate and up-to-date Beneficial Ownership (BO) information on legal persons and arrangements and applying sanctions for breaches of violation by legal persons to BO obligations”. The Financial Intelligence Centre Act (FICA) defines a beneficial owner as a natural person who, directly or indirectly, owns or controls the client of an accountable institution or legal person/trust/partnership that controls the client of an accountable institution or controls a client on whose behalf a transition is being conducted. Patel said that the data on the beneficial ownership register is for all entity types where ownership of a person is 5% or more, and companies would be obliged to collect this information. At the same time, the CIPC will have to maintain a register for law-enforcement agencies to retrieve when pursuing cases of money laundering, terror financing and proliferation. “The regulations will strengthen the fight against corruption and improve the integrity of South Africa’s financial system,” He said. However, According to its latest Economic Outlook report for South Africa, PwC said that, while the greylisting was for a good reason, the hoops South Africa would have to jump through to be removed from the list would raise the cost of financing and trading with global partners for companies based in South Africa. The greylisting and its recommendations could lead to additional funding source requirements for businesses and NGOs, which would increase costs and delay transaction execution, the group warned. As a result, private companies need context-specific solutions to circumvent the aspects of the greylisting such as strategic expansion, capital raising, and any generally increased cost of doing business, said PwC. Nevertheless, Patel noted that the cabinet was processing the amendments to the Companies Act. The National Treasury has indicated that the government is expected to address these deficiencies by no later than the end of January 2025. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/696935/government-is-cracking-down-on-trusts-and-businesses-in-south-africa-report/

Monde Ndlovu | 16 June 2023 Leadership remains a key cornerstone to building the kind of nation we want to be proud of. Youth leadership development in particular ought to be at the centre of initiatives and opportunities, because by placing youth leadership development at the heart of economic development, we will be ensuring that our future and its prospects are shaped by leaders who understand both their context and responsibilities. In the words of Lot Ndlovu, “do we teach the youth and challenge them to be keepers of their brothers and sisters, yet to be resourced, and in order to be resourced properly, through correct and wholesome means?” The challenge posed by Ndlovu remains - what is being taught to young leaders, and do these teachings, including gaining resources through ethical behaviour and processes, have integrity as their main ingredient? Youth leadership development should therefore be characterised by four E's; Education, Empowerment, Elevation, and Exposure. These four elements can form the basis of how we approach youth leadership development in the country. Education as the first element pertains to both formal and informal. Formal education is key in developing specific skill sets that are required to understand a certain discipline. Too many young leaders in their quest to make a difference do not spend sufficient time in understanding the need for formal education and how to align their abilities and mental aptitudes. Youth need to champion a specialist agenda, where we begin to see more young people specialising in key fields. And these fields need to align to the key drivers of the country’s economy, and not diversify and have irrelevant skills. According to Statistics South Africa’s latest GDP numbers for quarter 1 of 2023, finance, real estate and business services was the largest industry, currently contributing 23.6% to GDP. This is followed by personal services at 16.7%, trade, catering and accommodation at 14.7%, and manufacturing at 13.7%. Skills development therefore should be based on the key economic drivers of the country. As we speak, the South African population is painfully uneducated in key areas of that drive the economy. According to the Department of Higher Education and Training’s Highest Level of Educational Attainment in South Africa June 2022 Report, looking at 4th quarter data from 2021, between the ages of 25 and 65 years, the following data is revealed: secondary education (grade 12 or equivalent) was at 31.9%, certificate was 3.3%, diploma at 5.4%, and degree was at 5.9%. Amongst Black Africans, the numbers are not pleasing: secondary (grade 12 or equivalent) was 31.3%, certificate was 3.4%, diploma sat at 4.2%, and degree at 3.4%. These numbers prove that we still have a long way to go to realise the dream of a highly skilled workforce, especially amongst Black Africans who make up the majority of the country’s population. The informal education part speaks to learning from other sources, and learning in practice. The classroom in this context is anywhere and everywhere where knowledge can be gained and understood. The best way to gain knowledge is through practical application of theory and observable principles. There’s a famous African proverb that says: "Boys learn by watching the back of their fathers.” Young people, therefore, need to harness the informal space and learn widely from others and in practice. With Empowerment as the second element, we need to appreciate that the South African society is largely characterised by poverty, unemployment, and inequality. We remain of the most unequal societies in the world, meaning that economic power is enjoyed by few, which in South Africa’s case means wealth in the hands of few white people, even though a few black people have made some gains. Therefore, policies, laws, and regulations are needed to spread opportunities and to reshape economic power. Empowerment means creating external tools to uplift and redefine economic power in South Africa. Economic transformation is an empowerment philosophy and framework to achieve socio-economic redress in an unequal society. Part of the toolkit of empowerment is the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment framework. Zooming into enterprise development, the attitude of established businesses should be to create their own black competition in their respective industries. If not, they should develop black-owned business in the industries that drive the economy. And at the heart of this approach should be youth-owned businesses. This will also give established businesses the opportunity to transfer skills and expertise to these black-owned businesses. This needs to be the next layer of engagement in South Africa, where businesses need to develop youth-owned businesses in industries that drive the economy, like banking and financial services. In addition to this approach, the country needs to think more deeply about poverty, inequality and unemployment (PIU) targeting. Both government and business need to agree on PIU targeting and report quarterly on progress in this regard. With Elevation as the fourth element, the youth need to be held in high regard as the jewels of democracy. The future of democracy belongs to the youth and their offspring. Elevation also includes the challenge of recalibrating the thinking and mindset of young people. This is a daily task of beating the odds and remembering that we all come from greatness. In the words of a song sung by Thandiswa Mazwai, “nilibele ukuthi nizalwa ngobani,” meaning, have you forgotten who birthed you? And as we remember where and who we come from, we elevate our mindset and dream beyond our forefathers. With Exposure as the last element, this is to be intentional about bringing in young people into rooms and businesses to see how leadership operates at different levels in the economy. When Singapore decided to turn around their fate it employed three values: Meritocracy, Pragmatism, and Honesty. Young people should be exposed to more models of success that can be adapted to our country. The East has more examples of how they turned countries changed their fate, and the youth should be exposed to this. South Africa could also embark on a leadership exchange programme, where our young leaders can learn from other economies, with the sole purpose of bringing back insights to adapt to our shores. This Youth Leadership Development Model underpinned by the four E’s - Education, Empowerment, Elevation and Exposure - can further be developed, but the principles introduced in this article should spark the mind of the young. South Africa’s spirit needs to be redefined and its pulse needs to beat differently. With an army of youth leaders, driven by these four E’s, can usher in a critical mass of young leaders who can change the spirit and soul of the nation. As Ndlovu stated, we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. Monde Ndlovu is a consultant for African Leadership Development. https://ewn.co.za/2023/06/16/monde-ndlovu-youth-are-the-jewels-of-democracy-but-have-no-treasure

Herman Mashaba | 16 Junie 2023 Our economy is in tatters. We have just narrowly avoided a recession, unemployment has been above 40% for three years, the rand is in the gutter and interest rates are soaring. Any rational government would acknowledge this catastrophe and do everything possible to ignite economic growth. The ANC, however, has given up on growing the economy, instead ramping up their misguided efforts aimed at so-called redistribution. Their obsession with quotas will have the opposite effect, leaving everyone worse off by decimating any hope of an economic recovery. In April, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed the Employment Equity Amendment Act into law paving the way for the release of draft regulations in May to impose strict new racial quotas on employers of more than 50 people. Just days later, the department of water and sanitation published draft regulations applicable to water use licence applications, proposing similarly strict racial quotas for the extraction and storage of water. Both proposals are contemptible and should be rejected outright. However well-intentioned the ANC believes these measures to be, the reality is that no country can redistribute its way to prosperity. The only thing that the ANC’s race-based policies have succeeded in doing is creating a new wealthy class of politically connected black elite at the expense of the approximately 55% of our society living in poverty. Anyone who has visited informal settlements like Diepsloot and Orange Farm in Johannesburg will know that the ANC’s redistributive policies have done nothing to transform the lives of the poorest South Africans, the vast majority of whom are black. Despite all the ANC’s attempts at redistribution through irrational quotas and empowerment schemes, South Africa is more unequal today than it was in 1994. Let me be clear. ActionSA supports the transformation of the country’s economy, and the need to build an inclusive economy where all South Africans can be genuine counterparts. Similarly, we are not colour blind. We recognise that inequality in South Africa still manifests largely along racial lines. But, South Africa’s experience over the past three decades has shown us that racial quotas are a top-down attempt at addressing the symptoms of our deep-rooted inequality that do nothing to address the root causes of our economic challenges. These superficial measures are a lazy and ill-conceived attempt at transforming our economy at best, and political pandering ahead of an election — at the expense of the economy — at worst. Instead of addressing inequality, the proposed regulations may introduce an additional bureaucratic hurdle and increase the cost of doing business, which will adversely impact job creation in South Africa, leaving the poor and unemployed in an even worse situation. With the state of our economy, we cannot be implementing misguided anti-growth policies and regulations that will continue to harm job creation and exacerbate racial undertones. If we really want to address inequality in South Africa we need to reduce the cost of doing business, remove the bureaucratic red-tape that constrains growth and job creation, and make South Africa a more attractive investment destination. Instead of trying to artificially redistribute an ever-shrinking economy, we need to focus on growing the economy so that more South Africans can benefit from gainful employment. Redistributive policies aimed at reducing racial inequality should focus on achieving equality of opportunity and not equality of the outcome. This means that where there are obstacles that certain groups might experience, both due to historical events as well as current realities, the state should provide support mechanisms to ensure that individuals have the opportunity to overcome those barriers to prosperity. Central to ensuring equality of opportunity is fixing our disastrous public education system. The latest Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) found that 81% of learners in grade four in South Africa are unable to read for meaning. They cannot understand basic age-appropriate text. Unfortunately, it is black children that are the worst off — most African-language schools declined in reading performance, while English and Afrikaans schools did not. This finding means that existing patterns of poverty and inequality will be perpetuated. Essentially, those without the means to afford better quality schooling will be condemned to a reliance on inadequate public schooling where poor learning outcomes will likely exclude them from the economy in perpetuity. The reason why this is so important is because if it is left unaddressed, it will have a dire impact on the skills profile of our workforce. Any policy aimed at enforcing racial quotas for employers is redundant if individuals in the targeted groups do not possess the skills required for the job. Moreover, without a skilled workforce our economy will continue to decline in global competitiveness. We will slip further and further behind relative to countries that are investing heavily in subjects like science and maths, which play a crucial role in innovation and technology. This is fundamental to economic growth and prosperity. With the global economy entering a new era where artificial intelligence and automation will replace the need for many unskilled jobs, all the racial quotas in the world will not be able to compensate for our lack of skilled employees. The bottom line is that the ANC’s obsession with racial quotas will not fix the underlying constraints to economic growth and job creation. If anything, they will make doing business more expensive and deter investment. Given the choice between a country with an onerous regulatory regime like South Africa, and a country with a skilled workforce that prides itself on the ease of doing business, international companies will naturally go for the latter. Quotas that aim to superficially address the symptoms of an ailing economy without empowering the worst-off in our society are not only ineffectual, but they are also outright destructive. The only way to truly transform our economy is to ensure that it grows. That is why we must pursue policies that enable growth while ensuring that we empower marginalised communities with the education, skills and resources needed to overcome the legacy of the past and be active participants in an inclusive economy. Herman Mashaba is ActionSA president. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://mg.co.za/thoughtleader/opinion/2023-06-16-the-ancs-reinvigorated-obsession-with-quotas-will-be-the-death-knell-for-our-ailing-economy/

Salmah Brown | 20 June 2023 An introduction to Royal Bafokeng Platinum Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) was born out of a joint venture that was formed between Anglo American Platinum and Royal Bafokeng Holdings, known as the Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine Joint Venture (BRPM JV). In January 2010, RBPlat obtained a 67% majority interest in the JV and took over operational and managerial control of the operations. In November 2010, RBPlat made history by becoming the first community-owned business to list on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Strategy Our strategy is based on the pillars of: operational excellence; organic growth; pursuing value-enhancing opportunities and building flexibility to ensure sustainability. A performance-driven culture and aspiration to zero harm underlie the company’s goal of consistently striving towards operational excellence. Assets are managed with high optionality and flexibility, which allows for quick and appropriate action in line with changing market conditions. Central to the company’s strategy is achieving ‘More than Mining’. In line with this ‘More than Mining’ philosophy, the company has a proud track record of positive social impact as a transformation leader. Strong leadership Over the years, RBPlat has been led by a team of strong, committed, and dedicated Board and Executive Committee members. The teams have shown effective leadership through ensuring governance, good performance, and subscribing to ethical leadership. Assets Our operations are based near the town of Rustenburg in the North West Province. RBPlat owns and operates the Bafokeng Rasimone Platinum Mine (BRPM), the Styldrift Mine (Styldrift), the BRPM Concentrator, and the Maseve Concentrator. BRPM’s North and South shafts are both twin decline shafts with an average mining depth of 450m while Styldrift is a twin vertical shaft with an average mining depth of 680m and with a life of mine in excess of 40 years. Our BRPM Concentrator is a 250ktpm capacity traditional MF2 process plant and the Maseve Concentrator is a 180ktpm capacity traditional MF2 process plant. More than mining We have always recognised the important role that relationships play in our ability to deliver on our purpose of creating economic value for all our stakeholders, and building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships with our stakeholders is an integral part of our value creation process. Our constructive engagement processes and strong relationships with the communities in which we operate, our employees, our union, and society as a whole, are key to maintaining our social licence to operate and creating value for society. Our relationship with the union is characterised by regular consultation and collaboration on various employee matters, which is demonstrated by the signing of our landmark three-year wage agreement in 2011, and again the signing of two subsequent five-year wage agreements in 2014 and again in 2019, which were the first for the mining industry. We understand that ongoing positive relationships with our union and employees is critical to ensuring the stability of our business. Over the years, labour stability and employee engagement have proved to be our key strengths and they have always been driven by mutual respect and teamwork. In addition, our strong community relationships fostered through established community engagement structures, have allowed us to deliver on our Social and Labour Plan commitments and contribute to the delivery of our aspiration of achieving ‘More than Mining’. For our employees and their families, we have built over 1 500 houses in a modern estate in the Rustenburg prime area of Waterkloof Hills Estate, which is currently home to over 5 900 people. This was followed by a 50/50 partnership with the Department of Education to build two new schools in the estate at a cost of approximately R150 million to date and with an enrolment of 1 425 learners from our employee housing estate and the neighbouring communities. We have also put in place a Local Economic Development and Enterprise and Supplier Development strategy which is aimed at not only increasing the opportunities available for our host community businesses but also increasing their sustainability and capacitating them enough to also be able to do business beyond the mining industry. This has resulted in 45% of our total discretionary procurement spend being with local Historically Disadvantaged businesses which for 2022 alone amounted to R2.9 billion, up from R2.3 billion in 2021. Pursuing value–enhancing opportunities We have always looked at merger and acquisition activity through the eye of consolidation in the Western Limb of the Bushveld Complex to allow economy of scale, integration of synergies, revenue, a bigger base for cashflows, and a larger dividend flow. Therefore, we have always considered all possible merger and acquisition opportunities, and possible synergies with our neighbours and beyond. Soon after our incorporation in 2010, we entered into cooperative agreements with Impala Platinum Holdings Limited (Implats) in terms of which they were to mine areas of our ore body that are close to their shafts where we had no infrastructure. These agreements have thus far generated income for us to the tune of R2 billion. In 2017, we purchased the neighbouring PTM/Maseve operations, owned by a Canadian-listed company, to increase our concentrating capacity. The Maseve Concentrator, with an initial capacity of 110ktpm, was upgraded in 2022 to treat up to 180ktpm of ore. In 2018, we purchased the 33% participating interest of Rustenburg Platinum Mines’ (RPM), a subsidiary of Anglo American Platinum, in the BRPM Joint Venture, for around R2 billion and became the sole owners of our operations. Organic growth Operational excellence has been key to us achieving our objective of growing organically. Styldrift, our organic project, is a modern, state-of-the-art, fully mechanised, twin vertical shaft operation built at a cost of approximately R14 billion by a fully black-owned and managed company. It boasts a design output of 2.8 million tonnes per annum, with an estimated 320koz PGM 4E metals in concentrate at steady state. Styldrift, once fully ramped up, will be one of the largest underground PGM mines in operation. Since listing in 2010, we have doubled concentrating capacity, grew revenue from R2 billion to around R16 billion with a market capitalisation that was once R4 billion and is today over R40 billion. Building flexibility to ensure sustainability In addition to building operational flexibility, ESG is also a key focus area towards ensuring business sustainability. Our areas of focus have been on addressing climate change, decarbonisation, power, and water issues, amongst other concerns. We are alive to the need to reduce our carbon footprint and have developed and put in place our climate change roadmap with the aim of achieving net zero, by 2050. We are currently finalising a bankable feasibility study for the construction of a 98 MW modular solar PV plant, which would introduce renewable energy into our energy mix, which will be completed in the third quarter of 2023, depending on the receipt of regulatory approval. This is intended to provide green energy and reduce our emissions profile. At RBPlat, we are doing ‘More than Mining’. Visit our website: www.bafokengplatinum.co.za ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://bbqonline.co.za/2023/06/15/at-royal-bafokeng-platinum-we-are-doing-more-than-mining/

Tasneem Bulbulia | 14 June 2023 Learning a trade can open many doors for young people and deserves to be higher on the “what do I do after I leave [school]” lists of both parents and learners, industry organisation Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) human capital and skills development executive Zizile Lushaba says. She posits that innovative, self-driven self-starters who are technical and enjoy solving problems and working with their hands make good candidates for artisan training, which can include becoming a welder, fitter and turner, boilermaker or pipe fitter. At a time when the unemployment rate is close to 40% (39.2% in the first quarter of this year) and the jobless rate among young South Africans as high as 61%, the focus on post-school education and training must be on being employable, Lushaba emphasises. She outlines that choosing a trade increases young people's chances of being employed as there is huge demand for more artisans in all sectors of the economy, with this not limited to South Africa. Lushaba points out that, while degree-based careers may pay better, people have to be employed before getting paid. “South Africa has many unemployed graduates which just goes to show that a degree does not always guarantee a job. Of interest, there are far fewer trained artisans languishing among the unemployed,” she avers. The emphasis on practical training makes newly qualified tradespeople infinitely more employable than university graduates, Lushaba notes. “Trades require the following three elements — theory, simulation (practical training) and experiential learning (on-the-job training). Experiential learning allows the learner to be exposed to the workplace sooner than university graduates, which provides the opportunity to learn from professionals who guide and mentor them,” says Lushaba. She highlights that the trades also offer learners who may battle to achieve the marks needed to study at university an alternative and sometimes far better option than simply slotting into whatever degree they will be accepted into. “University is theory-intensive while a trade provides an opportunity for individuals, who might not excel as much on theory but would be far better with hands-on, practical exposure and learning. Being employed as an apprentice or qualifying as an artisan also provides earlier earnings prospects, which is a big benefit for many South African families,” Lushaba says. She points out that there are many colleges around the country where young people can learn a trade. The Seifsa Training Centre in Benoni, Gauteng, for example, offers a full range of artisan training — from welders to electricians. It has also kept up to date with the needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, she outlines. Moreover, the centre also offers skills such as robotics and three-dimensional printing to meet industry demands and these skills are taught using e-learning, virtual reality and electronic assessments. The centre can train 250 people at a time and offers apprenticeships in ten trades. As part of its commitment to empowering young South Africans, Seifsa took part in Cell C’s recent Youth Day Event. The ‘See Youth’ event focused on ways to empower the country's youth, including helping them to develop the skills of entrepreneurship among other things. Many artisans find that their practical skills and experience are perfectly suited to running their own small businesses, as Lushaba says, these skills are useful in “day-to-day life for those who are looking to explore the entrepreneurial route”. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/seifsa-encourages-young-people-to-learn-trade-skills-2023-06-14

Aunyana Moloisane | 14 June 2023 There’s an element of corporate fatigue about learnerships. They’ve become another requirement businesses are expected to fulfil, a B-BBEE scorecard item to check. Understanding the very real benefits has largely been replaced by bored and even malicious compliance. Were all familiar with the statistics. A national unemployment rate of 33%. A youth unemployment rate of 64% for job seekers between 15 and 24, and 41% for those between 24 and 35. About 9% of 17-year-olds drop out of school and the majority of 20-year-olds aren’t receiving any form of education at all. The reasons behind these figures are well documented. There’s a misalignment between the qualifications offered and the skills required in the market. Schools, colleges and universities are oversubscribed and underresourced, and the societal tendency to push the school-university-work journey, without considering alternative modes of education and professional growth, is limiting. But there’s another issue at play, too. Our education system simply isn’t robust enough to prepare young matriculants and graduates for the world of work. They may have a theoretical foundation, but their practical skills are often lacking. These range from the technical skills required to perform a particular job, to softer skills such as managing interpersonal relationships and demonstrating good workplace etiquette. This lack of practical training can even affect young adults’ interviewing techniques, preventing them from getting out of the starting gates in the first place. And those who do pass their interviews may not have their contracts renewed after their probation period if they can’t demonstrate the on-the-job skills their managers and employers expect of them. What, we have to ask, can best bridge this gap? A supportive and sustainable scaffolding Time and time again, learnerships emerge as one of the most important and effective solutions. Learnerships provide a scaffolding. They help to support the transition between secondary or tertiary education and the working world they are about to enter or have already entered. They help learners to gain a professional foothold and to secure it, giving them the knowledge, skills and expertise they need to thrive in their careers. It’s not a reinvention of the learnership wheel. It’s about making small and deliberate adjustments that give matriculants and graduates the best possible chance of success. These careers may not necessarily involve working at large companies. A strong base of entrepreneurs is critical to an economically secure future in South Africa. And people who not only have the theoretical training to run their own companies, but useful in-person experiences from which to draw, are likely to become successful business owners who provide critical services and alleviate unemployment down the line. There needs to be a clarification, however. These learnerships cannot be of the stock-standard, box-ticking variety. Instead, we need a concerted commitment to implementing meaningful, high-impact learnerships. Making learnerships matter There’s an element of corporate fatigue about learnerships. They’ve become another requirement businesses are expected to fulfil, a B-BBEE scorecard item to check. Understanding the very real benefits of this type of education has largely been replaced by bored and even malicious compliance. Learners, too, have become prone to abusing the system. Embarking on serial learnerships – where they take advantage of the (often poorly managed) learnerships available, and simply move from one to another – has become common. With a stipend usually offered, learners tend to view endless learnerships as better than being unemployed. But this means that they’re occupying places others could take, and that they’re delaying entering the workforce full time. This emphasises the difference between ordinary learnerships that serve neither learners nor employers to their full potential, and meaningful learnerships that are capable of creating positive individual, corporate and societal change. Meaningful learnerships demand clear intent from corporates to impart lasting skills, a commitment from learners to bring the best that they can offer, and an understanding from service providers that this nurturing environment needs to be consistently supported. They demand that all parties know what’s expected of them, and that together they show a concerted effort to seeing learners survive and excel in the world of work – whatever that world may look like to them, now or in the future. It’s not a reinvention of the learnership wheel. It’s about making small and deliberate adjustments that give matriculants and graduates the best possible chance of success. Alleviating South Africa’s unemployment crisis depends on a workforce that is educated, capable and entrepreneurial. Not all of these skills are provided in the classroom. Many are only possible in the workplace. And the rest, learnerships may be able to bridge – if we implement them well. Aunyana Moloisane is the Managing Director of Optimi Workplace, a division of the Optimi Group. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-06-14-learnerships-may-help-youth-in-work-but-must-be-meaningful/

Tebogo Makube | 14 June 2023 Preferential procurement regulations, which came into effect on January 16, give organs of state powers to determine their preferential procurement policies. The 2022 Preferential Procurement Regulations, are a response to a constitutional requirement, in particular section 217(2), which bestows powers on organs of state to implement their own procurement policies. The regulations are also in response to the Constitutional Court’s judgment in minister of finance vs Afribusiness NPC, affirming the right of organs of state to determine their preferential procurement policies. The challenge with the regulations is that they do not provide the framework for determining preferential procurement policies — preference matters are lumped under specific goals. This falls short of section 217(3) of the constitution, which requires that national legislation prescribe a framework within which the preferential procurement policy must be implemented. What is emerging from the supply chain management policies of different organs of state is a plethora of preferential points that are meant to be in line with achieving specific goals. One of the points is locality, which is subdivided into municipal, district and provincial boundary. Points can be allocated to bidders if they reside in the municipality, and again if they are in the district, including the province. That is a clear case of double dipping. The other preferential point is gender, which is confined to women. There is a danger of this preferential point creating a perverse incentive for fronting, with companies bringing in women to increase their chances of winning tenders. That is not the type of empowerment envisaged by the government. Other points that are include are local content, youth, people with disabilities and women. These preferential points will be allocated in the evaluation and awarding of contracts. The danger of allocating preferential points on the basis of locality is that it will lead to entitlement, cronyism and rent-seeking behaviour not linked to performance. Ideally, public procurement decisions should be based on competitive selection processes, which is inclusive of lawful preferential policy considerations. Some of the preferential points are definitely unconstitutional and unlawful. Moreover, SA is a unitary state and no-one should be disadvantaged by locality, not be allocated preferential points or participate in procurement opportunities, anywhere in the county. The theory of pork barrel spending provides interesting insights into this type of a social contract. It holds that legislators who bring home “pork” or tenders to their districts are better able to fend off potential challengers. This is cronyism. Procurement opportunities are mostly captured by the powerful and connected in society, not ordinary community members. Therefore, pork barrel spending is about projects that are approved and allocated on the basis of personal relationships, where benefits accrue to small groups of people. It becomes worse in municipalities where bidders residing in the same municipality, which has issued the tender or tenders, demand to be awarded the tender or a share of the tender. This is also known as forced subcontracting, which is prevalent in the construction industry. The demand for construction contracts by force on the basis of locality has led to the formation of “business forums” across the townships and rural areas. If the demands of these bodies are not acceded to, projects are deliberately stalled, though these are the areas most in need of service delivery. At the centre of this challenge is the lack of a framework to guide the determination of preferential procurement policies. The end result is that deals are often made “under the table” with special interest groups, and some tenders end up being allocated to small groups of politically connected people. Yet this is public expenditure. Individuals, associations or groups who benefit from pork barrel spending are almost certain to lack any incentive to grow and be competitive. This type of spending has no exit strategy because of perennial rent-seeking behaviour. Pork barrel spending is costly to the fiscus because it is not cost-effective. Premiums are paid to allow projects to go ahead. It also decreases social welfare, as society pays higher prices for goods not associated with the costs of providing the service. What is needed is a proper and well considered preferential procurement policy framework that will take into consideration the constitutional requirements, the economic needs of the country, and transformation. Procurement must be linked to performance, and key to that is proper contracting and contract management. Contract management must be evidence based, and if the contractor is not performing adequately they should be reviewed periodically and appropriate remedies be instituted timeously. In a country such as SA, procurement must facilitate development and not enrich a few connected people. There must be value for money for the fiscus, and companies with the capabilities and capacity to deliver must be allocated contracts on a competitive basis so that they also create jobs, procure locally manufactured goods and drive transformation. All of these factors will have positive spillover effects on the economy, all other things being equal. It is hoped that the Public Procurement Bill will be the answer to the current challenges and provide a better framework for the determination of preferential procurement policies. • Dr Makube, an advocate, is chief director: industrial procurement & development at the department of trade, industry & competition. He writes in his personal capacity. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2023-06-14-tebogo-makube-open-ended-preferential-procurement-policies-lead-to-pork-barrel-spending/

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Creamer Media | 14 June 2023 This article has not been written or solicited by Creamer Media and has been supplied by the author. Amidst a pressing drive to modernise, South Africa’s construction and infrastructure development industry is experiencing substantial transformation, fuelling growth on a significant scale. This, in turn, is ushering in a wave of employment opportunities and fostering new career paths for the country’s youth. Notably, South Africa is facing an ongoing youth employment crisis, as Statistics South Africa reveals that nearly half of all youth between 15 and 34 years are not in education, employment, or training. Against this backdrop, however, the construction and infrastructure industry is offering an essential glimmer of hope as its expansion holds enormous labour-absorbing potential. As the South Africa Construction Industry 2023 Report suggests, the sector is expected to experience an annual compound growth rate of 5.8% between 2023 and 2027, while construction output is set to reach just over R230 billion this year. “The construction and infrastructure sectors will be instrumental in achieving the country’s objectives for growth and employment. The sector’s anticipated growth not only addresses the immediate need for jobs, but also presents an opportunity for young people to develop highly sought-after skills, potentially altering their career trajectories and futures,” says Olebogeng Manhe, Chairman of the Gap Infrastructure Corporation (GIC). “So, as the demand for skilled workers in this sector increases, it’s important for young people to consider careers in this industry, as it offers many opportunities for personal and professional growth. Some potential, high-earning career paths include civil engineering, architecture, construction management, business administration, and project management – positions which will always be in high demand.” Making strides through the LearnMe and GIC partnership Assisting youth to develop in-demand skills for thriving career journeys, GIC has forged a partnership with LearnMe, a learnerships consulting provider which offers fully accredited training with the SETA. LearnMe specialises in the recruitment and training of abled people, as well as providing learnerships and skills programmes for people with disabilities. As the GIC’s trusted implementation partner, LearnMe is rolling out a tailored GIC learnership programme aligned with its skills development and B-BBEE strategies. In this way, GIC aims to provide learners from black communities with practical and comprehensive learning opportunities, assisting them to develop future-ready skills and ensuring that they are able to enter the job market with confidence. Several learners have already been enrolled to complete their NQF Level 3 Business Administration qualification through the GIC programme for a period of 12 months, each receiving a monthly stipend sponsored by the GIC. He further notes that several companies have partnered with programmes like the National Youth Service to provide opportunities for young people to gain work experience and develop their skills through training, mentoring, and community service projects. “Many companies recognise this challenge as an opportunity to invest in programmes that attract and develop young talent. These initiatives focus on providing training and mentoring opportunities and promoting diversity and inclusion in the workforce. By empowering young people with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed, we can build a more vibrant industry for generations to come,” says Manhe. “This approach to tackling unemployment and promoting industry growth is a testament to the forward-thinking nature of this sector. It’s a model that other industries could learn from as South Africa continues to grapple with the challenges of high unemployment and the need for sustained economic growth.” Looking ahead, young people will play a crucial role in shaping the construction and infrastructure industry. By providing opportunities for learning, growth, and development, construction and infrastructure companies can play a meaningful role in building a workforce equipped to meet future challenges. “At GIC, we recognise that the youth are vital to building a brighter future for our communities. Through our focus on innovation, we are dedicated to creating employment prospects for youth, and helping them to thrive in this industry as a leading infrastructure developer,” concludes Manhe. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/construction-sector-expansion-paves-the-way-for-youth-employment-2023-06-14