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TMO Reporter | 23 January 2023 AMA, a full-service media agency has launched the AMA Portal, an online platform which will serve as a database for black media owners/AMA Just under a year after launching, full service media agency AMA has unleashed the AMA Portal, an online platform to serve as a database for black media owners. “Advancing transformation is at the heart of AMA. The portal seeks to create market access for black media owners and to diversify the South African media landscape through empowering small black media owners in a highly competitive industry,” said managing director, Mfundo Ntsibande. In a press release, AMA said the portal will allow media owners to receive briefs and bid for projects by simply sharing their media inventory information. A cost-free service, the AMA portal gives up and coming black media owners access to a variety of briefs through a seamless application process. “Through sharing their media inventory information onto the system, a comprehensive database is created which enables brands to easily identify media owners across the country which they can collaborate with,” added Ntsibande. To utilise the platform, media owners simply need to sign up on the website-based portal, create a profile and upload the appropriate BEE certification. Once that is done, they can upload all their media inventory including print billboards, digital billboards, wall murals, transit media, internal and external mall media, and street poles etc. Once the profile has been completed, media owners will receive alerts about incoming briefs for which they can submit a bid and include their respective rate cards. As the administrator of the platform, AMA will review all applications, the brief will be allocated to the most compelling bid. AMA is a 100% black-owned full-service media agency with purchasing power across Africa. It is a venture between M&N Brands and Park Advertising with more than R5 billion in credit facilities, enjoying the benefits of bulk buying with local and international media owners. Visit the AMA portal on www.amamedia.co.za or email info@amamedia.co.za ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://themediaonline.co.za/2023/01/ama-debuts-black-media-owner-portal-to-foster-media-transformation/

Thabo Makwakwa | 25 January 2023 South Africans have become increasingly frustrated by the ruling party, which puts the movement at a risk of losing power in 2024. l SUPPLIED With the 2024 general elections coming, the ANC would have been in government for at least 30 years, which have been characterised by loud rhetorical statements, empty promises, and inaction in the implementation of progressive policies. The never-ending crisis after crises and the almost total collapse of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs), as well as the inability to turn things around, have led analysts to believe that President Cyril Ramaphosa’s party may have reached a dead end as South Africans become more frustrated by the lack of decisive leadership. However, some analysts also believe that the weakened ANC still has a chance to govern with the opposition in a coalition government. Political analyst and managing director at RE4M Envoy, Yolokazi Mfuto, said: “The ANC lacks the political will to transform the existing economic structures to implement policies such as the broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) properly and effectively. “In as much as we have seen the inefficiency of the current governing organisation, many South Africans still believe that the ANC can renew itself thus change might happen. This belief mostly exists within the organisation, as well as in rural areas in provinces like the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu Natal, and Mpumalanga. We must be also cognisant of the fact that these are the people most committed to voting. “However, this is despite the indication that the ANC might not survive the polls by a significant margin, even though they might not lose the majority holistically. There is a possibility of a coalition government.” On the possibility of a coalition government, Mfuto said the current opposition wasn’t strong and no single organisation sought to overthrow ANC on its own. “Coalition governments aren’t completely new in South Africa. However, the current political system is not ready to govern in a coalition arrangement as opposition parties still lack maturity in governance.” Weighing in, senior political studies lecturer at the University of Limpopo, Dr Metjie Makgoba, said the ruling party remained hegemonic, because many South Africans weren’t convinced that the opposition was a strong alternative. “Some people would even choose to abstain from voting instead of voting against the ANC. This means that even if the ANC's numbers suffer and dwindle, it will remain a dominant party. However, the formation of COPE, the EFF, and the BLF have taken a lot from the ruling party, and the trend is continuing to eat at its foundation. “But the shift won't be too radical. Voting patterns take time to change and depend mostly on issues of loyalty. Many people who are eligible to vote would still be loyal to the ANC for issues beyond service delivery. They would vote for the ANC, because it falsely stands as the only party that resisted apartheid. “Because of this false political currency, the party would still be favourable to maintain more than 50% of national votes.” Makgoba added: “Coalition seems to be the future of this country. What is likely to happen is that the ANC will start losing provinces one by one until it becomes a regional political party. “But this is going to take over 20 years to happen. For now, the ANC is still a favourable political party even if it continues to disappoint many poor black people.” Deputy vice-chancellor of the institutional support at Zululand University and independent political Professor Sipho Seepe, was of the view that there was no doubt that the ANC was unlikely to be the outright winner. “Under Ramaphosa it has squandered whatever political and historical capital it commanded. My sense is that has already resigned itself to a coalition government where it hopes to be the main player. “It would seem that the party also desperately wants to lose. This may be a result of having a president who is clueless about how to take the country forward. If truth be told, the country is being auctioned in Western capitals and its future is mortgaged almost daily. “One thing that Ramaphosa would achieve is to deliver the ANC as a carcass for the next leadership to deal with; that is, if the miracle of resurrection is still possible.” Seepe felt that this year would be spent on the ANC engaging in continuing internal squabbles with Ramaphosa who is likely to be locked in court cases linked to the Phala Phala saga. “We are going to have more of the same. At the moment we have to deal with the destruction of our economy daily.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/news/are-these-the-dying-days-of-the-anc-as-a-sole-ruler-fac6df82-c77f-42a6-8621-d4de3dc8c146

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Content Supplied | 24 January 2023 Sean Sharp, Executive Head of Sales for EduPower Skills Academy. November was Disability Awareness Month, the perfect time to shine the spotlight on the fact that while 7.5% of the South African population live with disabilities, only 1% of these individuals have jobs. However, South Africa is not unique in this. Worldwide, People with Disabilities (PWDs) are underrepresented in the workforce based on low expectations and preconceived notions about their capabilities. According to Sean Sharp, Executive Head of Sales at EduPower Skills Academy, this assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. “We are doing ourselves and these individuals a massive disservice, not to mention robbing them of their dignity. It’s about time that we stop looking at people’s disabilities and start focusing on their abilities.” He believes the value that PWDs can bring to any organisation goes far beyond a B-BBEE scorecard, but they seldom have the opportunity to prove their potential due to the perceived problems and/or costs associated with hiring People with Disabilities. This is also partly due to the schooling system in South Africa as matriculants are generally far from work ready when they finish school – a fact that applies equally to both able-bodied and PWDs. Sean says the best way to bridge the massive gap that exists for PWDs between school and work is by empowering them through learnerships. He has first-hand experience of the impact learnerships can have on PWDs as 90% of the learners at EduPower are people with disabilities. “Learnership programmes provide PWDs with an accredited qualification and invaluable work experience in a specific occupation. These new skills and the resultant confidence boost they provide, coupled with a range of other soft skills, significantly improve their employability, allowing them to build careers and make a positive contribution at work and to society,” he explains. More learnerships for PWDs While there are no figures to back it up, Sean adds that it would appear that more companies are sponsoring learnerships for PWDs. However, the reasons for this are not always in accordance with the intended outcome of creating employment opportunities. “Many organisations sponsor PWD learnerships for the wrong reasons – by making the spend, they are able to earn the four points available for PWD learnerships under Skills Development for their B-BBEE scorecards. Yes, this is an investment that provides skills and develops PWDs, but companies would be far better served seeing learnerships as talent pools for full-time employment that can make a positive impact on their businesses and achieve meaningful change.” Driving Transformation Companies actively providing full-time employment for their PWD learners upon completion of their learnerships will help drive south Africa’s transformation agenda. Besides unlocking five bonus points on their B-BBEE scorecard for absorption into their organisation’s workforce, far more important is that it will provide opportunities for these individuals to reach their full potential. PWDs are not looking for handouts or pity, they are looking for meaningful work that will allow them to showcase their skills and abilities in the same way as able-bodied individuals. “Hiring your learners is a win-win for all stakeholders. Guaranteed, your PWD learners have had massive obstacles to overcome in their lives, which has given them a completely different perspective on dealing with problems,” says Sean. “In any business, this introduces innovative thinking that can help businesses be more creative and solutions-driven.” Diversity through equal opportunities Sean believes that when you focus on what a PWD learner can do for the company, you will find that the benefits of a diverse workforce vastly outweigh any costs. There may be some reasonable accommodation that is required but being mindful of this and planning from the start will help companies avoid incurring too much extra spend. Including PWDs and accommodating their disability-related needs are important moves for companies with regard to talent resourcing and compliance with legislation. Inclusion and diversity in the workplace are everyone’s responsibility! Companies need to be committed to providing the correct development for PWDs to eliminate the associated stigma and to ensure they are given equal opportunities. Only then will effective change be possible and will People with Disabilities truly be recognised for the enormous value they can add. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’ https://ridgetimes.co.za/306257/learnerships-are-key-to-developing-people-with-disabilities/

Tamika Gounden & Nokukhanya Mntambo | 22 January 2023 FILE: The matric results were released this week, with the country's matriculants achieving an 80.1% overall pass rate. Picture: Olia Danilevich/Pexels.com Labour analyst Michael Bagraim said while prospective university students would be vying for admissions at the country's top tertiary institutions, there are alternatives such as technical colleges. JOHANNESBURG - As pupils from the matric class of 2022 set out to further their education, labour analyst Michael Bagraim said there was a high demand for vocational skills in South Africa. This included training in the fields of construction and electrical engineering. The Department of Basic Education released the National Senior Certificate (NSC) results last week, with the pass rate breaching the 80% mark. Close to 40% of those who matriculated achieved a bachelor’s pass, making them eligible to study at a university. Bagraim said while prospective university students would be vying for admissions at the country's top tertiary institutions, there were alternatives. "If anyone can get a practical skill in any of our technical colleges, I would highly recommend that," he said. "Obviously, if someone has the ability to study engineering or accounting or computer science then you're going to get to the front of the queue everywhere in the world, but if I were able to be a plumber, I would be proud of myself. Our mindset has to be set to practical skills that will help the economy to turn again." Meanwhile, tech entrepreneur Sabelo Myeni said that matriculants needed to be guided towards careers that the country needed. The Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) released the top 100 skill occupations list for the country, and Myeni said the underlying cause for the country's high youth unemployment was a lack of these critical skills. As school leavers decide on which careers to pursue, Myeni advised them to also consider short courses to fill the gap of some of the skills lacking in the country. He said that pupils needed to know that some of the scarce occupations on the list did not require years of studying. “Twelve months is sufficient to be able to be a developer, to be a data scientist, to be a solid programmer, so anyone who wants to go into that field is able to do so, whether you are a matriculant or whether you already have a degree.” Myeni said that matriculants needed to be guided towards more technological and data-based roles that the country was in deficit of. “South Africa, as a whole, there has been a huge demand for data scientists, software developers, and artificial intelligence specialists across the industries, whether its financial, whether its technology. Even in education, there is quite a lot of demand there. "Young people have that opportunity because these are new, these are in demand, these are what employers are looking for.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://ewn.co.za/2023/01/22/there-are-alternatives-to-university-says-expert

Ben Bierman | 22 January 2023 Whether you think of them as New Year’s resolutions, personal and professional commitments or a business wish list, dedicating time to setting goals is a key component of building a small and medium enterprise. Photo: File The start of the year presents an ideal opportunity for reflection – a chance to pause and regroup before jumping head-first into the hustle and bustle of another year. Whether you think of them as New Year’s resolutions, personal and professional commitments or a business wish list, dedicating time to setting goals is a key component of building a small and medium enterprise (SME) that can survive and thrive in times of uncertainty. These five resolutions are a great way to start: Put sustainability top of mind Climate resilience will be top of mind for business leaders heading into 2023, with the world fast approaching its 2030 net-zero deadline. This year, focus on becoming more sustainable in terms of manufacturing, production, the day-to-day running of your office, the way employees are trained and supported, and how your SME is contributing to broader objectives such as social upliftment. It will take time for the world to develop a truly “sustainable-first” mindset, but these are formative years for the next phase of socio-economic development. For this reason, it’s important to get a head start and make sure you’re strategically positioned to deliver on your sustainability commitments and objectives. Harness the power of testimonials Shopping is becoming more social. That’s both true in a literal sense – with social media platforms making their foray into the e-commerce space, and in the sense that digital technology has breathed new life into word-of-mouth marketing. This year, find creative ways to encourage your customers to share their feedback through reviews, referrals and testimonials. You could consider formulating a customer feedback strategy that includes follow-ups with customers, requests for reviews and adding that all-important credibility to your marketing collateral such as newsletters and brochures. Find ways to enhance entrepreneurial grit An increasing number of experts are pointing to “grit” as one of the most important traits for entrepreneurs, with several academic studies finding a correlation between grit and success. Thought leaders like psychologist, Angela Duckworth and behavioural scientist, Dr Pragya Agarwal argue that in its simplest form, “grit” is unrelenting perseverance – an unwavering commitment to and passion for achieving goals despite hardship, setbacks or barriers. This year, you can nurture grit as an entrepreneur by making your goals measurable and scheduling regular check-ins with yourself and your team to monitor how you are progressing toward your goals. This may be your year for redefining what failure means to you – actively seeking out the hidden lessons in the roadblocks you face, write them down and consult that list as a list of wins. Grit also requires focus – keep your “eye on the prize” this year by using your growth plan as a roadmap to commit to, and be sure to avoid distractions or the temptation to chase after “quick fixes”. Focus on customer experience Nothing will be more paramount to success in 2023 than the customer experience; or CX as it has become known. As a small business therefore, the best investment you can make in terms of time, money and effort is to analyse every step of your customer journey; both in-store and digitally. Examine your unique selling proposition – are you delivering on your promise to your customers? Consider whether your payment processing is tailored towards convenience, safety and reliability. Look at your marketing strategy – are you practising social listening and solving for a real need, or are you bombarding your customers with unnecessary product information? These are some of the factors you need to consider. Engage in important discussions As a South African SME owner, your experience is invaluable to the progress and development of the sector. Your on-the-ground experience of how consumers think, what matters to them, what your greatest challenges are as a business and your suggested solutions, are important insights for industry stakeholders. In 2023, resolve to share your experience, not only as a way of helping financiers, incubators, mentors and policy-makers to fine-tune their services or policies, but also to help other aspiring entrepreneurs as they enter the market. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/5-new-years-resolutions-for-sa-small-business-owners-and-entrepreneurs-1bd39894-512c-4524-9783-bc176202629a

Andile Ntingi | 23 January 2023 It remains to be seen whether it is too early to start writing the obituary of BEE, says the writer. Picture: 123RF If staunch supporters of BEE policy have not yet hit the panic button over the legal and regulatory setbacks suffered by the policy, they had better do so now. There is a concerted pushback under way against BEE, not just to roll it back but to end it. Resistance to BEE is gaining momentum despite the failure of the policy to alter the ownership patterns of the SA economy, which is still overwhelmingly dominated by white-owned businesses, foreign multinationals and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) nearly 30 years after the end of apartheid. In response to calls for BEE to be scrapped or drastically amended, which grew louder in November, President Cyril Ramaphosa defended the policy, arguing that the fate of black people cannot be left to the markets and that a policy intervention such as BEE is still needed to bring black people into the mainstream economy. While Ramaphosa did his best to allay fears over the policy being abandoned, there is no denying that BEE is losing credibility in the eyes of many South Africans because of its unintended consequences and its failure to uplift the majority of intended beneficiaries. The pushback against BEE happens at a time when there is a rise of organised extortion groups that are demanding to be given contracts or paid bribes in various sectors of the economy, including mining, construction and transport, under the guise of enforcing BEE compliance in those industries. These extortionist groups, which in some instances use violence and threats to achieve their goals, are a clear impediment to economic activity and attracting investment, risking SA’s economic prosperity. First setback The first major setback BEE suffered was in 2018 when the high court in Pretoria ruled in favour of the Chamber of Mines and against the department of mineral resources & energy in a matter concerning the “once empowered, always empowered” principle. The chamber, which is now called the Minerals Council SA, was seeking a declaratory order to have the “once empowered, always empowered” principle adopted as law ahead of the implementation of Mining Charter III, also known as the Broad-based Socio-economic Empowerment Charter for the Mining & Metals Industry. This court judgment in effect recognised the continuing consequences of previous BEE ownership transactions, implying that mining companies were not obliged to perpetually replace black investment partners in the event the original partners sold their shares. The ruling also meant mining companies could retain their black ownership status and mining licences after the exit of black shareholders. This court victory bolstered resistance to BEE in other heavily regulated sectors such as financial services, where there was a push for the adoption of the “once, empowered, always empowered” principle. There has been a dearth of major BEE deals since before the 2008 global economic crisis due to companies resisting having to redo BEE transactions. Second setback After BEE deals dried up as a source of wealth accumulation after the 2009 global economic crisis, prominent black people who could no longer lean on their political connections to acquire stakes in large, white-controlled companies had to find an alternative source of generating wealth. Their next target was procurement, where they took advantage of preferential procurement regulations to access lucrative government tenders. Many of these politically connected people became wealthy middlemen, selling goods to the state at huge markups, something that would have been impossible to achieve if these goods were purchased directly from the manufacturers or retailers. In 2017 the National Treasury introduced preferential procurement regulations that disqualified BEE-noncompliant suppliers from bidding for government tenders. This action resulted in business group Sakeliga launching a lawsuit to challenge the enforcement of the regulations on the basis that they were unlawful and did not promote “value for money” procurement of goods and services by the government. The litigation by Sakeliga resulted in BEE suffering its second major setback when the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of the business group in January last year. This judgment forced the National Treasury to gazette new procurement rules in November, which exempt government entities from being legally obliged to comply with BEE and local content regulations when purchasing goods or contracting service providers, if that noncompliance makes commercial sense. The biggest implication of this judgment is that local and black suppliers must compete on price and quality to access tenders. The ruling will also result in the state minimising wastage when procuring goods and services. In 2016, former chief procurement officer Kenneth Brown revealed that 40% of the government’s R600bn annual spending on goods and services was eaten up by fraud, which manifested in grossly inflated prices charged by suppliers. The new regulations came into effect on January 16. Recommendations But do these setbacks mean BEE is in its sunset or termination phase? There are people who believe the policy’s days are numbered, and I agree that it cannot carry on in its current form. It must be reformed to inculcate a culture of entrepreneurship in black communities and contribute to employment creation and economic growth. I believe the following interventions can make BEE more effective: There must be a concerted effort to position development finance institutions such as the National Empowerment Fund and Industrial Development Corporation to help black entrepreneurs acquire businesses in industries they have operational experience in. During the apartheid era an institution known as the Bantu Investment Corporation funded the acquisition and transfer of white-owned businesses to black entrepreneurs. The government must consider introducing tender set-asides that ring fence at least 20%-30% of the procurement of goods and services to be sourced from black suppliers that are the primary producers of those goods and services. Tender set-asides have been successfully implemented in Malaysia and the US. In the US set-asides are used to empower ethnic minorities such as African Americans, indigenous tribes and Hispanics, while in Malaysia set-asides are used to benefit the Bumiputeras (ethnic Malays), who make up 67.4% of that country’s population. Like SA, the US economy is dominated by white capitalists, while the Malaysian economy is largely controlled by ethnic Chinese. African American scholar Bessie House-Soremekun concluded in a research paper that entrepreneurs who benefited from set-asides in the US were more successful than those who didn’t. The private sector must embrace the elements of BEE that encourage the development of skills and small businesses. Key pillars of BEE such as skills development, and enterprise and supplier development must be retained in an amended BEE policy. The enterprise and supplier development element, which encourages large corporates to fund black businesses or procure from 51% black-owned companies with revenues not exceeding R50m, is critical in developing small, medium and micro enterprises. As a country we cannot do away with it. It remains to be seen whether it is too early to start writing the obituary of BEE. Will those seeking to kill the policy prevail over those defending it, or can it be successfully reformed? One thing is clear to me: BEE cannot survive in its current form. • Ntingi is the founder of GetBiz. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2023-01-23-andile-ntingi-is-bee-here-to-stay-or-is-it-facing-its-demise/

Sunday World | 22 January 2023 BLACK BUSINESS COUNCIL (BBC) CEO Kganki Matabane. When Kganki Matabane took over as Black Business Council (BBC) chief executive in December 2017, it was “broken”, and he believes he has rebuilt its credibility over the past four years. “BBC was broken, including owing money to suppliers and employees. However, I stabilised the BBC,” Matabane told Sunday World during an interview. “When I joined the BBC, no one wanted to touch it either in government, in business or among prospective sponsors. It was risky because the BBC did not have money. When I joined, and during the first three months, I did not get a salary,” he added. “I rebuilt the BBC’s credibility. We are now involved in all major decision-making in the country. For example, we get consulted before the state of the nation or a cabinet reshuffle. We get consulted before companies appoint chief executives,” Matabane said. When he agreed to take on the role of BBC CEO, he wanted to make a broader contribution. He added that the BBC aimed to put economic transformation at the centre of local debate. However, Matabane said the state had neglected black economic empowerment (BEE). “Government only started to take it seriously again last year when we had a summit and invited the president,” he added. “The private sector is not taking transformation seriously because if the government is not taking it seriously, neither will the private sector.” He added that the last time the government took BEE seriously was when Thabo Mbeki was president. “If you look at the black millionaires and billionaires; over 90% were created during Thabo Mbeki’s time. Unfortunately, those people are getting old and retiring. The challenge is to create new ones,” Matabane said. He added the private sector engaged in BEE box-ticking exercises. “They are doing it for compliance rather than in the spirit that in South Africa, we have a certain history, and that needs rectification,” Matabane said. He said black people only owned a small fraction of the economy. “If you look at the government’s employment equity report, chief executives of JSE companies almost 70% were white males. Something is not right. In South Africa, if you cannot empower the majority, that is a threat to democracy,” Matabane said. He said his leadership style allowed people to try things and make mistakes. “I try not to be harsh. Instead, I am patient with people when they make mistakes. In that way, people become loyal,” he added. Matabane said he had worked with several BBC presidents. “I have learnt to adapt to different characters and styles. I have needed to be diverse in my thinking and flexible while respecting different people,” he added. He pointed out that everyone needed mentors who could tell them the truth and help them avoid blind spots. “You should not surround yourself with ‘yes’ men or women,” he added. Matabane has also worked for Business Unity SA, the Black Management Forum, City Power, Transnet and Anglo American Platinum. He started his career as an assistant teacher. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://sundayworld.co.za/business/c-suite/new-broom-sweeps-clean-at-bbc/

Tasneem Adams | 21 January 2023 Matriculants from St John's College celebrate their results. Refiloe Mpakanyane speaks to network mobiliser at Youth Capital, Lethiwe Sinodumiso Nkosi about the future of work, employment, and entrepreneurship for South African youth following the recent release of matric results. While some matriculants will be accepted into university, some may explore the option of taking a gap year and seeking job and entrepreneurial opportunities or even re-writing their exams. For many newly matriculated youth, there's very little options or help to find their way. Youth Capital is a youth-led campaign that combines data with young people’s lived stories to shift gears on youth unemployment. The organisation was initiated in 2018 to assist young people with the stumbling blocks between exiting their place of learning to entering the labour market. Their focus is on supporting youth to become economically productive. Youth Capital network mobiliser Lethiwe Sinodumiso Nkosi said these roadblocks usually start at school with some learners not being able to obtain their national senior certificate due to various reasons. And once they're on the hunt for employment, the financial struggle becomes all too real. "Young people need money to apply for work. We advocate for sites where youth can look for work without using their own data. We also know that many youth don't have strong social connections. Many come from households where very few adults are working and they don't have someone to speak to. There's no mentors they can reach out to navigate the transition from leaving school to entering the job market." Lethiwe Sinodumiso Nkosi, network mobiliser at Youth Capital Another obstacle is the requirement of working experience. "Many youth will knock on doors and they're told they need 5 years of experience, which they don't have. We need to configure that expectation and look at informal experience like volunteer work." Lethiwe Sinodumiso Nkosi, network mobiliser at Youth Capital Nkosi has stressed the need for ordinary South Africans to play their role in helping youth figure out the next steps in their lives. "When we have this conversation, we should not just celebrate the pass rate, but think about who did not make it and help them get their matric certificate so they stand a chance to become economically productive." Lethiwe Sinodumiso Nkosi, network mobiliser at Youth Capital ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.capetalk.co.za/articles/464866/how-matrics-can-become-economically-productive

Glorious Sefako-Musi | 20 January 2023 Image: sabc news The South African Judiciary Sakeliga, a business lobbying group, says it will monitor state organs’ adherence to a constitutional court ruling allowing all organs of state freedom to determine their own preferential procurement policies. From this year, any organ of the state can decide whether they want to pursue a value-for-money procurement policy or black empowerment, or even localisation. This comes after the Constitutional Court declared the 2017 Preferential Procurement Framework Act Regulations unconstitutional and illegal and called for new legislation to be enacted. This new legislation came into effect this year, allowing for procurement regulations without black economic empowerment (BEE) and local content requirements for all organs of the state. This means organs of state should stop the practice of applying BEE pre-disqualification to tenders. Sakeliga says failure to stop such practices that rely on unlawful procurement regulations would render any tender awarded by an organ of state open to judicial review and litigation. ConCourt ruling allows state entities to determine own preferential procurement policies The lobby group says it will monitor and head to court if necessary government veers from decentralised procurement. “it will essentially be up to businesses and chambers of commerce and other associations to ensure that government doesn’t meddle, central government doesn’t meddle in the procurement policies of organs of state and for say to detract from value for money in procurement, businesses will have to be alert, they’ll have to be vigilant and ensure that value for money procurement is being taken up and taken seriously by organs of state where they tender, so that is what should happen and Sakeliga will monitor the overall situation and if necessary we’ll head to the courts again, see with the public procurement act that is looming, that will violate many of the principles that we’ve now actually for the first time implemented,” says Sakeliga legal officer, Tian Alberts. The Black Business Council says it’s concerned that if National Treasury does not give direction on policy, then the lack of capacity at various organs of state will lead to no policy direction. CEO of the Black Business Council, Kganki Matabane says, “Most of these organs of state don’t have the capacity. So once you leave something to a municipality, they’ll just leave things and do nothing. Once you leave it to other state enterprises that are anti-transformation, they’ll have their own regulation or policy that removes economic transformation and localisation completely. And in our view, that is not necessarily an ideal way of dealing with transformation and localisation. Remember the reason we want localisation is because we are creating jobs in SA at the moment. We have about 70% youth unemployment and by removing localisation, you are actually saying create jobs somewhere else except here.” Matabane says the BBC’s focus for this year is on the Public Procurement Bill which replaces the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act. He says they want the bill to specify targets for the transformation and empowerment of groups like women, young people and people with disabilities to ensure these become part of the act. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/sakeliga-to-monitor-state-organsadherence-to-concourt-ruling-on-preferential-procurement/

Lunga Simelane | 20 January 2023 A sign on a factory gate in Anderbolt, Boksburg. 12 November 2020. Picture: Neil McCartney With the recovery of youth unemployment lagging, it is clear a lot more work still needs to be done. In a response to the Gauteng youth, the oversight committee of the premier’s office and the legislature held a report back session on the commitment made at a youth workshop to address unemployment in January last year. The committee presented its strategies to tackle unemployment and open doors for the youth to enter the mainstream economy as active participants. It noted the status of the youth was desperate and more needed to be done. Quality of education must be improved According to the report, the quality of basic education and outcomes, high pupil drop-out/ failure/repetition rates, creation of employment, support of young entrepreneurs and the self-employed, and the promotion of mental health and well-being needed to be improved. Several other aspects which also required improvement were “teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence and femicide, crime, violence corruption, apathy, social and moral fibre decline and youth in conflict with the law”. The committee detailed its Gauteng Integrated Youth Development Strategy (GIYDS) objective, which included integrating youth development into the mainstream of policies, programme strategies and the provincial budget. The plan was inclusive of five strategic pillars and proposed interventions which would focus on: Quality education, skills and second chances; Economic transformation, entrepreneurship and job creation; Physical and mental health promotion including Covid; Social cohesion and nation-building; and Effective and responsive youth development machinery. “The Youth Directorate in the [object-oriented programming] is the custodian of the GIYDS and it will work closely with the MEC responsible for youth development to coordinate the implementation of the GIYDS 2030, with the support of the Gauteng Youth Advisory Panel,” the report stated. Unemployment a ‘ticking time bomb’ It also revealed the progress on youth employment as at the end of quarter two of 2022-23. In skills development, 310 unemployed youths were trained in automotive skills in collaboration with Tshepo 1million, 98 trained in information and communications technology skills and 38 606 youth participated in skills development programmes. Youth employment progress consisted of 38 561 youth accessing economic opportunities/income generating programmes, 10 226 beneficiaries participated in the welfare to work programme and 573 work opportunities were created through Tshepo 1million. The issue of youth unemployment was a national crisis and viewed as a ticking time bomb. Concerns were raised regarding the efficiency of the Tshepo 1million programme in reducing youth unemployment in Gauteng as several young people weighed in on its ineffectiveness, non-inclusivity and failing system. The unemployment rate among young people was hovering around 68%. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.citizen.co.za/news/youth-unemployment-a-ticking-time-bomb/

Phemelo Segoe | 20 January 2023 In 2020, the Department of Higher Education and Training calculated that less than a third of South African adults, some 32.5%, had a matric certificate or its equivalent. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng In 2020, the Department of Higher Education and Training calculated that less than a third of South African adults, some 32.5%, had a matric certificate or its equivalent. Picture: Motshwari Mofokeng The matric pass rate says a lot about the health of South Africa’s education system. As an indication of the learners who successfully pass Grade 12, it offers insight into whether primary and secondary institutions are serving the needs of their learners, and provides an indication of the number of new graduates who may apply for tertiary studies or enter the job market. This figure doesn’t tell the full story, however. On 20 January, the Department of Basic Education will announce the results of the matric class of 2022. Whether these figures point to a recovery in the wake of the pandemic remains to be seen. Between 2019 and 2020, the pass rate fell by over 5% to 76.2%, and its gains in 2021, by a mere 0.2% percentage points, were so small as to be virtually insignificant. What’s more, researchers feel that the pass rate alone doesn’t reflect the full status of education in South Africa. The “true matric pass rate”, they argue, has to consider the dropout rate. How many learners who started in Grade 1 failed to matriculate 12 years later? The Department of Basic Education puts the dropout rate at between 42 and 56%. The Zero Dropout Campaign puts it closer to 63%, estimating that only 37% of Grade 1 learners ultimately pass Grade 12. In 2020, the Department of Higher Education and Training calculated that less than a third of South African adults, some 32.5%, had a matric certificate or its equivalent. With a matric still serving as the most important qualification for job seekers, these numbers paint an alarming picture. They point to the many millions of South Africans who cannot find employment — the country continues to have one of the highest unemployment rates in the world — and who cannot break intergenerational cycles of poverty. WHAT CAN COMPANIES DO? How can we overcome this? How can we support not only the learners who don’t pass in 2022, but also those who didn’t pass in 2021, in 2020, and the many years that came before? The answer to this question isn’t an easy one. Pointing fingers in any one direction is reductive and counterproductive. In a country like South Africa, which is beset by many complex socio-economic and political issues, it’s best to view responsibility for addressing these problems as shared. Government has its role to play, yes, but so too does civil society and the private sector. If we look to business, it’s clear that there are a variety of advantages available for companies that make the effort to support new and future employees who don’t have a matric. One of the most obvious of these relates to the B-BBEE Scorecard. Businesses that offer skills development programmes for low skilled employees and unemployed community members stand to earn up to 25 points towards their B-BBEE Scorecard. Companies with more than R50 million turnover need to spend 6% of their payroll on skills development to qualify. These skills development initiatives can take a variety of forms, namely the Amended Senior Certificate (ASC), Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET), now known as Adult Education and Training (AET) and finally, learnerships are particularly valuable. With an ASC, learners have a qualification that is recognised as the equivalent of a matric. Through AET, adults who fell off the academic wagon sometime before Grade 9 have access to formal education and through learnerships, employees can gain practical work experience and earn a living while they complete their qualification. Additional B-BBEE points are made available for companies that hire these learners full time once their learnerships are complete. Companies that make this investment are not only helping to address one of South Africa’s critical issues — both in terms of education and employment — but are also likely to improve their business efficiency, productivity and overall performance. Employees who are supported in this way are also likely to feel loyal to a particular company, which reduces the costs associated with a high turnover. The solution, for employee and employer alike, is win-win. Upskilling employees who do not have a matric, or helping new recruits to complete their matric before they come on board, offers a variety of real and tangible benefits. It not only gives individuals a new chance to further their careers and earning potential, but it also helps businesses to grow and thrive, and has the potential to improve South Africa’s economic prospects over the long term. Phemelo Segoe is the Marketing Manager at Optimi Workplace, one of South Africa’s leading education and training providers. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/companies/do-you-know-how-many-people-in-sa-have-a-matric-heres-how-companies-can-change-this-major-problem-in-sa-09c27b7e-7060-4afc-88f7-852a27857cbd