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Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities | 8 February 2023 Gender-Responsive Budgeting Workshop seeks to restructure the way Government looks at financing the gender agenda The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities held a 2-day workshop on Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing (GRPBMEA) from 6-7 February 2023 in Benoni, Gauteng Province. The workshop was attended by officials representing the three tiers of government, as well as civil society organisations and academia. The national workshop, attended by over 500 officials working in planning, monitoring and evaluation, and finance, focussed on the implementation and institutionalisation of the Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework (GRPBMEAF), approved by Cabinet in 2019. It is important to note that, as the department, our implementation of the framework covers priorities for women, youth and persons with disabilities (WYPD). The workshop aimed to reflect, engage, and share progress made and lessons learned towards knowledge improvement and commitment to the institutionalisation and mainstreaming of women, youth and persons with disabilities. The workshop was themed: “Leaping towards the achievement of the MTSF 2019-2024 target to institutionalise 100% women, youth and persons with disabilities Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing.” The DWYPD has a critical mandate to regulate the promotion of women empowerment and gender equality, youth development and the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. The GRPBMEAF is therefore one of a number of tools used by DWYPD to regulate the institutionalisation of mainstreaming of WYPD priorities across the work of government. With this workshop the department sought to encourage and ensure that the broader public service prioritises women, youth, and people with disabilities priorities into all plans and budgets in order to improve the results for women's empowerment, youth development and realisation of the rights of the persons with disabilities in the country. The workshop sought to: Broaden the status on progress made on the implementation of GRPBMEAF by national departments and provincial departments and related stakeholders is provided; Share best practices and relevant knowledge regarding policies, programmes and institutional mechanisms which have successfully advanced WYPD empowerment and equality related matters; Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and reporting on the implementation of the GRPBMEAF in support of the prioritisation of the institutionalisation and mainstreaming of WYPD; Promote accountability for full implementation of GRPBMEAF as well as strengthened knowledge on WYPD evidence; and To discuss the recommendations and interventions for continuous improvement on the process of the implementation of GRPBMEAF and WYPD priorities. A gender responsive budget is an important mechanism for ensuring greater consistency between economic goals and social commitments. Periodically, DWYPD hosts meetings with national and provincial departments to capacitate departments and track progress on the implementation of the framework. The results are an improved awareness and understanding of the framework as well as an improved response rate on the self-assessment reports by departments to over 50%, which provides a baseline on institutionalising the framework. What is the Gender-Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework? The Bill of Rights guarantees full and equal enjoyment of all rights by all genders and the protection of people against any form of discrimination. In addition, South Africa is a signatory to a number of international and regional commitments to gender equality and women empowerment, including the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1995) and the Southern African Development Community Protocol on Gender and Development (2012), amongst others. The South African Parliament has passed legislations that further the goals of gender equality, including the Employment Equity Act, 1998, and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000. South Africa initiated a number of gender responsive budget initiatives since the dawn of democracy in 1994 and was seen as leading both on the continent and globally in developing and implementing Gender Responsive Budgeting methodologies. However, as a country we have since regressed. There is much to learn from these initiatives and the evolving legislative and policy context in South Africa, and how to sustain our gains. The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities (DWYPD) developed the Gender Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing (GRPBMEA) Framework that was approved by Cabinet in 2019. The Framework sets out an approach to ensure that the country and government-wide systems explicitly and consistently respond to women’s empowerment and gender equality priorities. The institutionalisation of GRPBMEA is directly linked to gender mainstreaming across the state. Gender-responsive budgeting initiatives seek to create a direct linkage between social and economic policies through the application of a gender analysis to the formulation and implementation of government budgets. A gender analysis can also demonstrate the ways in which social institutions that are seemingly “gender neutral” do in fact bear and transmit gender biases. Gender budget analyses can be applied to gender specific expenditures, expenditures that promote gender equity within the public service and general or mainstream expenditures. The achievement of Gender Equality and Women Empowerment (GEWE) requires a greater equal sharing of the allocated financial resources towards programmes and interventions which should equally benefit women and men. This will ensure the achievement of women’s economic, social and political empowerment. In order to achieve this, engagements with relevant stakeholders is crucial to facilitate commitment towards ensuring the inclusion of gender in the budgeting process. As DWYPD coordinate the implementation of the GRPBMEAF, centre of government departments have been central to driving the government wide institutionalisation of the framework, in particular Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME) and National Treasury (NT). Find the Gender-Responsive Planning, Budgeting, Monitoring, Evaluation and Auditing Framework here: https://tinyurl.com/yc6fj6wz(link is external) For media related queries: Mr Shalen Gajadhar Director: Communications, Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Cell: 060 979 4235 For media engagements: Ms Xolelwa Siya Dwesini Xolelwa.Dwesini@dwypd.gov.za Cell: 081 030 9109 ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.gov.za/speeches/gender-responsive-budgeting-workshop-seeks-restructure-way-government-looks-financing

Pieter Groenewald | 8 February 2023 South Africa has had enough of empty promises and President Cyril Ramaphosa cannot simply repeat the same plans and promises he made in previous State of the Nation Addresses (SONA). These empty promises by ANC heads of state have formed a pattern where the same plans are rehashed, or tweaked a little, every year to try and fool the public. An example is the 2022 promise that more will be done to create a favourable environment for the private sector in order to stimulate economic growth. Nothing came of it. On the contrary, along with administrative red tape the suffocating screws of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and Affirmative Action (AA) have only been turned tighter. That is evident in the Employment Equity Amendment Bill, which was passed last year. It affords the Minister of Trade and Industry extensive powers to decide for himself where transformation in the workplace is falling short, and what the new transformation targets ought to be. All that is left is for the President to sign it. It is the complete opposite of what he promised a year ago. Legislation like this has caused South Africa's private sector and the country's economy unmeasurable damage. The President's promises and reality are obviously two vastly different things. Likewise, very few of the other SONA promises realised. The President must say why they were not implemented, and he must announce decisive plans for stimulating the economy. The President must be very honest about the ongoing power crisis and he must put forward government's plans to address it in great detail. Harsh experience has, however, taught that it is best to temper any optimism about the practicality of SONA promises. Thursday's SONA will, like before, probably be no more than a rehash of the grand ideas and impractical plans of the past. Under ANC rule, the country's administration has deteriorated to such an extent that even viable plans are difficult to implement. It has plunged the country into this current crisis. The FF Plus does not foresee any deviation from the recipe that the ANC has been following to run South Africa into the ground over the past three decades. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.politicsweb.co.za/politics/sona-empty-promises-will-fool-noone--pieter-groene

Many organisations choose third party facilitators to distribute their SED contributions, which the Codes allow. However, organisations must note that, according to the Codes, the ultimate benefit needs to flow to the intended Black Beneficiaries. The B-BBEE Commission’s SED Brochure , published in September 2019, addresses third-party facilitation of such contributions. Third party facilitators for SED contributions are usually Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) or Public Benefit Organisations (PBOs), including Non-Profit Companies (NPCs). Such facilitators must produce either a B-BBEE Certificate or Affidavit to confirm their B-BBEE status. NPOs, PBOs and NPCs are Specialised Enterprises for purposes of B-BBEE measurement. Their B-BBEE compliance is measured in terms of Statement 004 – otherwise known as a Specialised Scorecard. Socio Economic Development Services are available to guide organisations in facilitating SED contributions in line with the requirements.

On 07 February 2023, the B-BBEE Commission has published Practice Guide 01 of 2023 which intends to assist Organs of State and Public Entities to better prepare for verification processes. The Practice Guide outlines the documentary evidence per an element that an Organs of Stat or Public Entity would need to have in place when undergoing a B-BBEE Verification process.

In order to receive Skills Development points, under the Skills Development Scorecard, a Measured Entity must meet specific criteria: Have a Workplace Skills Plan, an Annual Training Report, and a Pivotal Report, which are SETA approved. Implement a general Priority Skills programme, and a more specifically for Black people. The 3.5% compliance target under paragraph 2.1.1.1 (Skills Development Expenditure on Learning Programmes specified in the Learning Programmes Matrix for Black people as a percentage of the Leviable Amount), includes external training expenditure for unemployed Black people as per the Skills Development Scorecard. When implementing initiatives under paragraph 2.1.1.1 (Skills Development Expenditure on Learning Programmes specified in the Learning Programmes Matrix for Black people as a percentage of the Leviable Amount), these Training Initiatives cannot be counted under paragraph 2.1.1.2 (Skills Development Expenditure on Bursaries for Black students at Higher Education Institutions), and vice versa. In order for a Measured Entity to score Bonus Points under paragraph 2.1.3 (Number of Black people absorbed by the Measured Entity at the end of the Internship, Learnership and Apprenticeship programme, under paragraph 2.1.2.1 [Number of Black people participating in Learnerships, Apprenticeships and Internships as a percentage of total employees,]), a trainee tracking tool has to be developed. Should less than 100% of the trainees be absorbed, as per paragraph 2.1.3, the percentage achieved or absorbed, will be recognised. The Sub-Minimum and Discounting Principle Under the Skills Development Scorecard, a Measured Entity must achieve 40% of the total Weighting Points (40% of 20 points), which exclude the Bonus Points, as set out under Statement 300, the General Principles for Measuring Skills Development. Should a Measured Entity not comply with the threshold targets that have been set, the overall achieved B-BBEE Status Level will be discounted by one (1) Level, as has been specified in paragraph 3.4 of Statement 000. Skills Development Expenditure Legitimate Recognisable Training Expenses The following expenses are recognised as legitimate training expenses, under the Skills Development Element: Training material costs Trainers’ costs Training facilities and catering costs Scholarships and bursaries Course fees Accommodation and travel Administrative costs such as the organisation of the training, which includes, where appropriate, the cost of employing a Skills Development facilitator or training manager, to the Measured Entity. Learning Programme Matrix

Darren Parker | 8 February 2023 President Cyril Ramaphosa must focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when he addresses the country regarding the steps government is taking to alleviate the nation's energy crisis, industrial and logistics parks owner and operator Inospace COO Jacques Weber says. More than 1 500 SMEs, which have been hard-hit by the impacts of loadshedding, run their businesses from Inospace's logistics parks. "We call on the government to immediately provide unconditional assistance to SMEs whose businesses are at an enormous risk of being annihilated by unending loadshedding," Weber says. He referred to the Department of Small Business Development, recalling that it was considering relief measures to assist SMEs affected by loadshedding. “These measures must be realistic and translate into financial assistance,” he states. SMEs play a significant part in South Africa's economy, making up more than 98% of businesses nationwide and contributing 39% towards the country's gross domestic product. According to Weber, that contribution is likely to increase in the next few years. However, these businesses are most vulnerable to economic upheavals and externally driven pressures. “While loadshedding persists, thousands of SMEs are . . . contemplating shedding jobs, lowering production or possibly winding up. The SME segment of the economy does not have the means to get off the grid through costly alternative power solutions,” Weber notes. He explains that, in 2019, the Department of Trade and Industry launched the Intsimbi Future Production Technologies Initiative (IFPTI) to position South Africa's advanced manufacturing sector for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. "While many participants in the industrial sector were impressed with the government's strategy, the lack of reliable electricity supply will take the industrial sector from the Fourth Industrial Revolution to before the first one. Reliable power is the foundation of economic development," Weber says. Inospace believes that funds and facilities must be urgently provided to relieve smaller businesses with their existing debts and payments. The company, which specialises in providing industrial and last-mile logistics spaces with business services, believes that government relief should assist SMEs in paying for raw materials, labour and other operational costs. "These interventions must be structured to match the patterns of small business cash flow and the extent of the impact experienced due to the loadshedding,” Weber says. Inospace, which has more than 50 serviced logistics parks in Cape Town and Johannesburg, has launched a "Living with Loadshedding" project to help its clients minimise disruptions to their business operations. The project includes solar solutions, inverter options and generator advice to assist SMEs who require emergency assistance. It has also established a hotline, which Inospace clients can use for advice or emergency relief. Inospace installs solar plants to reduce consumption on the various grids and lower demand. The company also allows clients to install their own dedicated solar panels, which benefit the tenants' electricity bills. "Many property companies use solar as a yield-enhancing profit generator, but we will use solar to keep our clients in business. We allow our clients to move between logistics parks and use our business hubs with 24/7 power. They can now work between the different loadshedding stages," Weber says. "Everyone hopes that loadshedding will start bottoming out and slowly easing over time, but it's unlikely there will be any relief soon. Accommodating loadshedding into our business operations and strategies will be essential for at least a few years.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/ramaphosa-urged-to-consider-smes-in-fight-against-loadshedding-2023-02-02

Darren Parker | 6 February 2023 A complete overhaul and rebranding of broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) is needed to undo and overwrite the damage done to the system by unscrupulous opportunists who have used corruption and State capture to enrich themselves through the abuse of empowerment policies, Centre for Economic Development and Transformation director Duma Gqubule has said. “We need to rebrand this thing. It might even involve a name change, because in the public, it has been discredited,” he said on February 6. Speaking at a seminar on BBBEE in Johannesburg, hosted by investment firm Kagiso Capital, Gqubule said the measurement of black ownership currently had zero credibility, stating that there was no relationship between actual black ownership and what was on the black economic empowerment (BEE) certificates of many companies. He said there were so many ways of representing the statistics, with so many creative ways to manipulate those statistics, that the result had been a “confusing maze of black ownership statistics”. For example, financial institution Nedbank quoted its black ownership at 37.6% in March 2017. However, in its year-end financial report for the same year, the actual figure included was only 1.7%. Moreover, reported BEE statistics differ dramatically between the JSE at 23% and the National Empowerment Fund at only 3%. He attributed the “voodoo BEE accounting system” to a series of policy concessions made when the BBBEE Act was first promulgated. Among these concessions he referred to was the flow-through principle, which allowed a 51% black-owned company to be counted once as 100% black-owned in an ownership chain. Other concessions he mentioned included the exclusion of mandated investments and State ownership, the continuing consequences principle, third-party ownership and the exclusion of non-South African assets. In an experiment, Gqubule said the application of these concessions using the “voodoo BEE accounting system” turned an actual 6% black ownership of a consortium into 26% black ownership on paper. He also decried the “once empowered, always empowered” principle applied to large companies, such as banks and mining companies, who have no incentive to enter into replacement BBBEE transactions. However, despite these issues undermining the success of BBBEE, Gqubule blamed the African National Congress- (ANC-) led government’s mismanagement of the South African economy for 27 years as the real reason that BBBEE is failing. He said there needed to be drastic changes made to the government’s failed macroeconomic policies. “The ANC government - you've been talking about structural reforms for a decade, but you cannot deliver growth, and you will not deliver growth. The only way is for the government to spend more on its people and its infrastructure to grow this economy,” he said. Gqubule added that there would need to be a significant revamping of the BEE policy framework to stimulate a third wave of transactions. Further, he called for a new BEE Commission to be instated. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/negative-connotations-mean-bbbee-needs-to-be-completely-overhauledadvisor-suggests-2023-02-06/rep_id:4136

SA News | 6 February 2023 Picture - iStock Big plans to address vocational and artisan skills shortages. KwaZulu-Natal premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube has outlined the provincial government’s plans to convert schools with dwindling enrolment numbers into vocational skills centres. Dube-Ncube was speaking during school monitoring visits in Umbumbulu in the Umlazi district. Dwindling enrolment numbers Dube-Ncube is leading the provincial back-to-school monitoring programme to assess progress since the start of the 2023 academic calendar. The visits started on Wednesday and conclude today. During Wednesday’s visits, issues related to the viability of schools with dwindling enrolment numbers came into focus. Dube-Ncube, accompanied by members of the provincial legislature and officials from the education department, visited Ekudeyeni Primary School and Emadundube Primary School in Umbumbulu. They were armed with check lists to evaluate the schools’ enrolment capacity, attendance of pupils and teachers, school nutrition programme, delivery of pupils’ support material and the school governing bodies’ involvement. Dube-Ncube heard that there are approximately three million pupils enrolled in over 6 000 schools in the province for the 2023 academic year. Plans to address the skills shortage Dube-Ncube said the provincial government is discussing with the departments of education and higher learning and training the possibility of converting some of the schools with good infrastructure into vocational skills centres to address the shortage of technical skills. ‘Some of the schools that have good infrastructure but are unused or have been closed because of dwindling enrolment numbers must be converted into vocational skills centres to address the shortage of technical skills that we need as a country to develop. ‘The skills training required includes artisans, plumbers, electricians, construction and carpentry, so that the youth in townships and rural are as can be equipped with skills to start their own businesses,” Dube-Ncube said. Dube-Ncube also expressed concern over reports of theft and vandalism at schools and called on the community to protect school assets and buildings from vandalism, theft and destruction. ‘The safety and security of teachers, schoolchildren and property are the responsibility of communities who must work with law enforcement agencies to bring perpetrators to book. ‘We cannot afford to keep replacing vandalised infrastructure when we should be building libraries and laboratories, so that we equip [pupils] with the requisite skills for the digital economy,” Dube-Ncube said. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.citizen.co.za/news/kzn-schools-become-skills-centres/

TMO Reporter | 8 February 2023 A new cohort of MTF students from Africa MultiChoice South Africa has stepped up its skills development and industry readiness programme with the launch of its MultiChoice Talent Factory Extended Cut programme. Designed to assist MultiChoice Talent Factory (MTFza) alumni, it assists those who want to start their own production companies after the 12-month internship programme. Now in its ninth year, MTFza is an industry readiness programme that affords South African film and TV graduates the opportunity to learn from some of the leading TV producers in the country, while acquiring valuable experience in directing, producing, cinematography, commissioning, art direction and many other skills. Speaking at MTF Day at the Joburg Film Festival, Tumi Masekela, Executive Head of Corporate Affairs South Africa at MultiChoice, said: “At MultiChoice, our purpose is to enrich lives and this programme is a culmination of many conversations and interactions with various stakeholders on how we can really help graduates from our prestigious MultiChoice Talent Factory internship programme to gain sustainable employment and make a meaningful contribution to the economy.” After ending their time at the academy, alumni are faced with two options: enter the industry as production professionals, often as freelancers, or establish their own production companies and pursue production opportunities. Understanding that more opportunities are needed in the film and television industry, MultiChoice will be giving further access and production opportunities within the Group, increasing the chances of filmmakers becoming sustainable. Under MultiChoice Talent Factory Extended Cut, promising and newly established productions houses will have access to free-to-use production facilities and equipment to increase profitability, business support services to boost sustainability, mentorship support from experienced professionals to enable skills transfer, and production accounting services to ensure compliance. These production houses will also be able to produce movies exclusively for the Mzansi Magic channel. To be eligible, production companies need to be partly or wholly owned by MTFza alumni, 51% black-owned and a preference will be given to those production houses owned by youth and women. “We truly see this as a win-win for both the alumni and the entertainment industry as we will now have a pipeline of fresh and diverse content from new entrants, increase job creation and a sustainable and complete model that provides market access to budding new black-owned production companies,” Masekele added. The programme will be overseen by a team of writers, directors, executive producers and production managers and will kick off on 01 March 2023. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://themediaonline.co.za/2023/02/multichoice-talent-factory-extended-cut-to-boost-skills-transfer-and-open-access-to-employment-in-entertainment-industry/

Cape Business News | 6 February 2023 Today, businesses of all sizes, from roadside traders to large corporates, can no longer afford to not accept digital payments, says Zunaid Miya, Managing Director of local fintech Hello Pay. Mastercard’s New Payments Index 2022, published late last year, found that 95% of consumers in South Africa used at least one emerging digital payment method in the last year, with usage expected to increase further. The 2021 iteration of the same survey found that more than half (57%) of South African consumers would avoid businesses that do not accept electronic payments of any kind. An overwhelming 97% of those surveyed at the end of 2022 indicated that they are likely to use a digital payment method in the next 12 months, with account-to-account payments (86%), digital money transfer apps (81%), instant payment services (80%), and digital credit or debit cards (78%) topping the list. Yet many merchants, especially small or informal traders, still prefer or even rely on cash payments. There are many reasons. Some believe they need to be a certain size or have a certain level of income to qualify for a machine that can process digital transactions. Others are concerned about the costs of transacting on such a machine. And some are, quite simply, used to doing things a certain way and resistant to change. For now, they might still be keeping their heads above water. Most consumers today are highly banked and avoid carrying more than R300 in cash for safety reasons, but the fact remains that they do still carry some cash for small transactions. The bigger challenge is that these businesses are hampering their own growth. Not only are they likely to lose out on bigger transactions, but they’re not part of the formal economy – a system that gives them access to business funding, insurance, digital services, and online stock procurement. Furthermore, none of the reasons for avoiding digital payments are as challenging today as they were just a few years ago. There are options available to small merchants, and these options are easier to understand and use than ever before. By partnering with the right provider, small businesses can enhance their offering, offer safer payment options for customers and benefit from previously out-of-reach digital banking services. Hello Pay is one of few organisations servicing this important sector, allowing customers to buy a machine once-off, with the option to receive payments every day, including weekends and public holidays. Smaller merchants are beginning to see the value of being banked and being part of the formal economy, but there’s still a way to go. The biggest challenge remains the transactional fees charged by banks. Should these fees be reduced, even by a small margin, it would open up the sector and in turn help the economy flourish as these businesses grow. But waiting for banks to change their tune before joining the digital revolution is not an option. Consumers are demanding cashless transactions now, and merchants who refuse will lose out. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.cbn.co.za/industry-news/digital-transformation-information-technology/how-small-businesses-can-go-digital-and-why-they-have-no-choice/

Estudy | 6 February 2023 Imagine the typical intern. Young and keen to learn, they approach your business for work experience. You give them a holiday job so they can get a feel for how things work in the real world. If you're lucky, your intern has a knack for the job and adapts well to the workplace culture. New hire, 1. Recruitment fees, 0. Although the holiday job/volunteer-type internship still exists, the South African skills development landscape offers a more formal approach to this method of learning that holds real benefits for businesses. In fact, for many organisations, internships are a better choice than learnerships. Let’s explore why. Just like learnerships, internships are accredited The first myth we need to debunk is that internships are unaccredited. Although they’re not necessarily registered on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF), internships are accredited by statutory or professional bodies. Think for example of the legal profession. Here, a one- or two-year candidacy programme (or internship) at a law firm is required before you can register as an attorney. This internship is not a loose collection of ‘volunteer tasks’, it’s highly structured and is overseen by the Legal Practice Council – a professional body in the legal sector. Similarly, other professional bodies monitor the quality of internships in their sector – internships that are often required for professional registration or licensing. And all this is important because of BEE. Many internships fall in Category C of the Learning Programme Matrix, where they’re defined as: “Recognised or registered structured experiential learning in the workplace that is required after the achievement of a qualification – formally assessed by a statutory occupational or professional body.” Category C internships that are recognised by professional bodies, and that can lead to professional registration or licensing, are therefore ‘accredited’ (for internships the word is ‘endorsed’) insofar as BEE is concerned. Internships are equally relevant to new and experienced employees Unlike learnerships, which are linked to a specific qualification, internships are linked to the competencies identified by the relevant professional body. And this makes internships relevant to all your employees. Why? Let’s find out. A learnership is a work-based route to obtaining a qualification. On completion of the theoretical instruction (delivered by a training provider) and practical experience (delivered in the workplace), the learner obtains an NQF-registered qualification. In contrast, those who complete an internship do not gain credits on the NQF. Instead, they have mastered the competencies identified by the relevant professional body to succeed in this profession. For example, the South African Board for People Practices (SABPP) – the leading professional body in the HR sector – has identified five core competencies for HR professionals: Leadership and personal credibility Organisational capability Solution creation and implementation Interpersonal and communication Citizenship for the future: Innovation, technology and sustainability The SABPP only endorses internships that cover one or more of these competencies. On completion of an SABPP-endorsed internship, learners are able to register with the SABPP and apply for a professional designation such as HR Technician, HR Associate, HR Professional, etc. As you can imagine, registration with a professional body, and a professional designation to boot, opens up many doors for employees – both those who are new to the workplace and those who have been at it for many years. Internships can be customised to your business’s needs Since an internship is linked to competencies instead of a qualification, you have a wider range of options when it comes to customising the internship for your particular needs. Although most internships run between six and 12 months, there is no hard and fast rule when it comes to the duration. It all depends on how long your employees need to master the competencies covered in the internship. Furthermore, you can add your own content, examples, case studies, policies and procedures to the internship to really boost its benefits to your business. To use the SABPP example again, if you’re running an internship on ‘leadership and personal credibility’, you could include your business’s own leadership framework, practical activities set by leaders in the business, masterclasses presented by your C-suite, and even technical training offered by your favourite presenter. Internships enhance a culture of mentoring and knowledge-sharing Unlike learnerships, internships rely heavily on mentoring or coaching. After all, the idea is to master certain practical competencies and apply these in the real world of work. While members of your C-suite and executive management team can (and should) act as mentors, you can also use professional coaches and thought leaders outside your business. The focus on practical application and mentoring means that the internship will lead to more than just a framed certificate on the wall – there’s actually a real possibility that it’ll have a positive impact on your bottom line. Internships do not require time away from work Traditionally, learners on learnerships have needed to complete most (if not all) of their theoretical training on-site with the training provider. This is primarily due to the sheer mass of content that needs to be covered, as well as the SETAs’ stringent (dare we say outdated?) approach to learner assessment and verification. Absent employees are a luxury that few businesses can afford – especially when it comes to more senior employees. Luckily, most professional bodies have more trust in today’s digital tools. As long as the content is top-quality, and the assessments are matched to the required competencies, professional bodies are generally more than happy to endorse online internships. This means that learners can work through the material (and often even attend mentoring sessions) any time, and from anywhere. Internships improve your BEE Scorecard As we mentioned, many internships fall in Category C of the Learning Programme Matrix – which will win you BEE points – and spending on internships can be claimed back from your Skills Development Levy. Furthermore, regardless of whether your ‘interns’ are employed (existing employees) or unemployed (employed only for the duration of the internship), you can claim their salaries as part of your skills development target spend. Note on Category B internships Category C internships (which we’ve discussed in this article) are a great way to make sure that your business and employees benefit from current, relevant and industry-recognised training. However, these internships don’t necessarily qualify for discretionary grants from the SETA. To access these grants, you’ll need to jump through a few hoops. A Category B internship is similar to a learnership in that it’s based on an NQF qualification. There are a multitude of pre-approvals and rules you’ll need to navigate before implementing a Category B internship, so make sure you’re aware of these before you start the process. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.bizcommunity.com/Article/196/536/235661.html

Nicola Daniels | 6 February 2023 B-BBEE commissioner Tshediso Matona. Picture: ANA Archives Cape Town - As the legacy of apartheid’s policies, which exclude the black majority from ownership of productive assets, still exists to this day, the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Commission finds that efforts to turn things around are slow. In its report, titled “Determining the Effective Implementation of Enterprise and Supplier Development Funds”, the commission found there were significant funds available for Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) programmes, with reported budgets ranging from R101 000 –R999 999; R1 million – R5m; and R21m or more, the bulk being in the R1m to R5m range, and the overall total for 2021 being in the region of R26 billion. However, only 61% of the funds allocated to ESD were implemented, which was a continuing trend over the past five years (2017: 44%; 2018: 60%; 2019: 51%; 2020: 61%). The research study assessed the abilities of entities to implement the funds allocated for ESD, as required by B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice which set the targeted ESD spend of 3% Net Profit After Tax for ESD. B-BBEE commissioner Tshediso Matona said: “The study puts the spotlight on critical issues that require attention in the ongoing implementation of B-BBEE, and which should be on the policy agenda of government and on the compliance agenda of private and public sector entities. For example, the survey results show that only 62% of participating entities confirmed having ESD strategies, most of which operate in the property, construction and financial services sectors. This suggests the prevalence of ad hoc approaches to implementing ESD, which reduces the intended impact of ESD as B-BBEE lever.” The issues highlighted by the study range from the need of many measured entities for assistance to comply with B-BBEE legislation and to correctly implement the ESD element, to misalignment between their preference for one form of contribution to ESD, such as mainly financial support, like grants, early payment to suppliers, on one hand; and the requirements of beneficiary enterprises for support with operational effectiveness, market penetration and sustainability, on the other hand. Policy analyst Nkosikhulule Nyembezi said: “The slow progress in the uptake and utilisation of funds remains a great concern in an economy that is in dire need of investment. The absence of plausible explanations for the slow progress is also a concern, especially in this period when the economy is struggling to recover and reach pre-Covid levels. The government seems to be lacking in its role as a stimulator for the economy, largely due to corruption. It appears that politicians persist with wanting to award tenders to their connections. If not, nothing happens.” Among others, the commission recommended reinforcing the commitment and responsibility of the government to enterprise and supplier development and ongoing monitoring and tracking of beneficiaries to track the progress of ESD programmes. “The government must invest in strategies to broaden access to economic opportunities by empowering companies and individuals who are unfairly disqualified by the red tape and application of policies in a prejudicial manner,” Nyembezi said. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/news/b-bbee-commission-says-that-progress-in-improving-things-is-slow-eb0e2ee1-cf8f-4550-86a1-c324e7aaf733