Bontle Motsoatse | 29 February 2024 Engineering body, Consulting Engineers South Africa (CESA) has warned that South Africa cannot afford to have the new Public Procurement Bill signed into law in its current form because it will hinder rather than support infrastructure delivery. The Public Procurement Bill was introduced into Parliament in May last year. The primary purpose of the Bill is to create a single piece of national legislation that regulates public procurement, including preferential procurement. CESA CEO Chris Campbell says, “This is a procurement Bill, and with infrastructure and the dire state in which our infrastructure is, there are but literally only two mentions of infrastructure in a Bill of this nature,  whereas there should have been more deliberate emphasis on expenditure, and procurement related infrastructure and other strategic assets. One wonders, whether enough thought has gone into it so that we can be more deliberate in how we intend getting value for money.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/public-procurement-bill-will-hinder-infrastructure-delivery-cesa/

Sikonathi Mantshantsha | 29 February 2024 Organisations representing black lawyers have filed papers with the Pretoria High Court to compel the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) to gazette the Legal Sector Code (LSC) of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act to facilitate transformation in the sector. The organisations say promulgation of the code will help deal with the "discriminatory patterns of procurement". Some black lawyers argue that briefing patterns discriminate against them. The organisations say Ebrahim Patel's failure to promulgate the LSC is unlawful and discriminates against black law practitioners.  The organisations represent black lawyers and are led by the Black Conveyancers Association, the National Association of Democratic Lawyers, the Black Lawyers Association, and the Pan African Bar Association of South Africa. The lawsuit comes in the wake of a legal controversy in which Gauteng High Court Judge Mandlenkosi Motha recently demanded counsel in his court to explain why there was not a single black lawyer in a team arguing a BEE case before his court. The judge questioned whether the absence of a single black lawyer did not amount to a violation of the equality clause of Section 9 of the Constitution.  "One of the most significant indicators of this inequality is the fact that major commercial and corporate instructions are monopolised by large, majority white-owned firms," said Raphael Grant Brink, who filed the papers on behalf of the organisations on Thursday. "In contrast, black legal practitioners continue to suffer discrimination, in particular in relation to procurement practices."  The parties say Patel has been stalling the process, thus frustrating the objectives of the B-BBEE Act. "This has the effect of thwarting the constitutional imperative of transformation," reads part of the affidavit. This "unreasonable delay" adversely affects black lawyers. "Contrary to his obligations, as part of a government whose role is that of transforming South African society, the minister has chosen, through his inaction, to frustrate transformation," said Brink. In the affidavit, Brink said the B-BBEE Act was promulgated to give effect to Section 9 of the Constitution. This section of South Africa's supreme law is pivotal to the case as it provides for equality, which includes "the full and equal enjoyment of all rights and freedoms. To promote the achievement of equality, legislative and other measures designed to protect or advance persons or categories of persons, disadvantaged by unfair discrimination may be taken," said Brink.  Failure by Patel to issue the Codes of Good Practice to promote the purposes of the law is unlawful, said Brink. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.news24.com/fin24/economy/black-lawyers-take-legal-action-to-force-patel-to-gazette-bee-legal-sector-code-20240229

Denise Nicholson | 27 February 2024 The accessible formats provision in the Copyright Bill goes well past just braille for blind and visually impaired people, and facilitates access for Deaf people who use South African Sign Language (SASL) as their first language. The mother tongue for millions of Deaf people in South Africa is SA Sign Language (SASL), which became the 12th official language on 19 July 2023. Sign language is referred to in Article 6(5) (a)(iii) of the Constitution, in various legislative and government policies, as well as in Article 6(4) of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. Equality for persons with disabilities is enshrined in Article 9(3) of the Constitution and is also included in the following conventions: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights; The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Protocol; Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women; International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination; and Convention on the Rights of the Child and Youth Programmes. South Africa’s Integrated National Disability Strategy was approved in 1997 and the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities was established in 2019. Several laws were also passed relating to disabilities and discrimination, such as: The Employment Equity Act, 1998; The Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act, 2000; The Social Assistance Act, 2004 and Social Assistance Amendment Bill, 2010; and Equality Act 2010. International human rights conventions, the Constitution and domestic anti-discriminatory laws all provide the framework for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, yet their rights to access to dignity, equality and knowledge have been neglected by government and the legislature for decades. International intellectual property treaties, the European Union’s Copyright Directive, the UK Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, the Gower Report on Intellectual Property, the Hargreaves Report, the World Summit Declaration of Principles, the Copy/South Dossier and the World Blind Union’s Proposed Treaty for the Visually Impaired all recognise the need to “maintain a balance between the rights of authors and the larger public interest, particularly for education, research and access to information”. South Africa has supported the WIPO Development Agenda since 2007.  It is an active member of the Africa Group and supports its Draft WIPO Treaty on Exceptions and Limitations for the Disabled, Educational and Research Institutions, Libraries and Archive Centres. So why is there still no balance and equity in our copyright law? Prof Claudine Storbeck, director of the Centre for Deaf Studies at Wits University, asserts that “in a country which prides itself as learning from its history of segregation and oppression, the privileged sectors of South Africa waged an almost decade-long power struggle, whilst those without agency – the over 5% of the population who have disabilities – were robbed of equitable access to information. “Whilst claiming the moral high ground in defence of artists and creators in a democratic society, the irony of this elitist Orwellian power struggle infringed on the human rights of the very people who needed defending the most.” Thanks to Blind SA – with legal assistance from SECTION27 – for instituting action in the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition and Others case in the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria, and challenging the constitutionality of the current copyright law. On 7 December 2021, the high court declared the current Copyright Act (45 years old) to be unconstitutional to the extent that it fails to make provision for exceptions that would enable, through the conversion of works, access to such works by persons with visual and print disabilities. The application was unopposed. The Constitutional Court confirmed this ruling on 21 September 2022. This was a very positive outcome and a big step in the right direction to make reading material accessible to persons with visual and print disabilities. Due to the nature of the case which focused on people with visual and print disabilities only, the court ruling could not be extended to Deaf persons or those with other disabilities. There is positive news, though. The South African Copyright Amendment Bill [B13F-2017] was approved by the National Council of Provinces on 26 September 2023, and passed by the Portfolio Committee on Trade and Industry on 14 February 2024. It now awaits approval by the National Assembly plenary and thereafter, assent by the President. Key solutions Storbeck believes that the Bill offers key solutions for people with various disabilities, namely accessible formats (Section 19D) and “fair use” (Section 12A), as well as exceptions for education and related purposes (Section 12B-D). Section 19C for libraries and other memory institutions will also enhance access to material, especially in the digital space, for people with disabilities. Regarding fair use, Storbeck recalls that as early as 2019, Prof Coenraad Visser argued that the fair use provisions were “an innovative provision, which will not only position South Africa to benefit from the gains of the 4IR… but will also engender social justice within the copyright-based industry and the larger economy”. Regarding Section 19D, Storbeck explains that “the accessible formats provision goes well past just braille for blind and visually impaired people, and ensures provision for adaptations, captions, translations and conversions into more visual formats for people who cannot read the language of publication (or read at all), as well as for people with dyslexia or other disabilities that prevent them from accessing information, as well as facilitates access for Deaf people who use South African Sign Language (SASL) as their first language.” Once Parliament approves the Bill, the President is obliged to act in terms of Section 79(1) of the Constitution. We trust that in the 30th year of our democracy, President Cyril Ramaphosa will sign the Bill that finally restores constitutional rights to people with disabilities, including equality, dignity, access to cultural life, employment, education and lifelong learning, and the right to language. Until everyone has access to information, how can we truly celebrate Freedom Day on 27 April this year? ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2024-02-27-passing-of-copyright-bill-into-law-will-give-deaf-and-blind-people-a-fair-deal/

Ivor Price | 2 March 2024 Women in Farming’s next chapter focuses on empowering graduates to scale their businesses and share their skills, driving long-term impact and community transformation. The Women in Farming programme, a pioneering initiative dedicated to empowering women in agriculture, is poised to embark on its highly anticipated third phase, setting ambitious objectives to elevate businesses and drive community impact. Initiated by Agri SA Enterprises and funded by the Momentum Metropolitan Foundation and AgriSETA, it has garnered notable achievements in its previous phase, showcasing the resilience and success of its participants. As it enters this new chapter, the programme seeks to further amplify its transformative influence on women in the agricultural sector. Eager to get started Speaking to Food For Mzansi, project manager Mareli Prinsloo and project administrator Aisha Dhaler of Agri SA Enterprises confirmed that the programme has achieved significant success in its previous phases. The team is optimistic about the transformative potential of the upcoming stage. Prinsloo highlighted the programme’s focus on business management skills for the ten winning businesses from phase two. “Phase three will mostly focus on the further development of specifically the business management skills of each of the ten winning businesses, teaching them to scale and also reinvest in their current enterprises,” she said. Dhaler emphasised a new dimension to phase three – the women becoming sellers of their skills by offering agricultural training and development interventions to their surrounding communities. This innovative approach aims to create a ripple effect, turning each business into a driver of skills transfer, education, and change in their immediate circles of impact. Challenges and success stories Reflecting on lessons learned from earlier phases, Prinsloo said, “Proper communication channels, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and obtaining true buy-in and commitment from the participants are crucial for success. We’re now implementing these lessons from the start.” Discussing the collaborative aspect, Prinsloo noted, “Thabo Olivier, the specific mentor assigned to the ladies, stood out. His motivational skills, technical expertise, and mentorship were a winning recipe for the programme’s success.” Prinsloo furthermore highlighted partnerships in which Khanyisile Zulu and Minenhle Mbuyazi were involved by actively participating in agriculture extension services and research trials, bringing valuable expertise to the programme. She proudly shared, “All ten of the phase one winning businesses that proceeded to phase two resulted in successful businesses after the phase two close-out, becoming self-reliant.” Prinsloo also highlighted success stories like Zulu’s shift to broiler production, Pinky Mahaye’s expansion into irrigation services, and Xola Sibisi’s focus on community training and development. Next up: Phase three Dhaler unveiled the unique aspects of phase three, stating, “Farmers must be able to use the revenue they generated in the previous phases and reinvest it into their enterprise. The focus is on creating a business that can sustain itself.” Prinsloo, a food safety expert, stressed the importance of food safety in achieving food security. “Food safety goes hand in hand with food security, not only during food processing downstream but also during primary agricultural production,” she explained. Dhaler also discussed the strategic use of storytelling, stating, “The team is constantly requested to send pictures on a weekly basis, detailing how the funds are being used. It’s essential to tell the story of how the program is impacting these individuals and their communities.” In closing, Prinsloo expressed gratitude to the Momentum Metropolitan Foundation and AgriSETA for funding the programme. Dhaler congratulated the participants on their progress, encouraging them to persist through phase three and make a meaningful impact in their communities. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.foodformzansi.co.za/agri-sa-unveils-women-in-farming-3-0-scaling-up-sharing-skills/

Sunday World | 4 March 2024 Job creation took centre stage at the 6th State of the Nation Address in Mpumalanga on Friday. Analysts and guests eagerly anticipated the strategies that Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane would present on addressing the 46.4% unemployment rate among young people in the province. During her speech, at the packed legislature building in Mbombela, the Premier did not leave the issue unattended but shared the vision of Mpumalanga on job creation. “We are in the season of jobs, jobs, jobs, and more jobs. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey released last week shows that at the end of the 4th Quarter of 2023 our province was employing 63 869 more people than in the same period in 2022. From last year, employment in our province jumped by a whopping 47 705 people, taking the overall number of people working in this province to 1.25-million. This was the highest figure in Mpumalanga in years. However, we are still concerned with a high youth unemployment rate  currently at 46,4% for young people between the ages of 15-34,” she said. The Premier said various programmes such as the National Rural Youth Service Corps and the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) have been instrumental in creating job opportunities. The EPWP, which has been in operation nationally since 2004, has provided over 761 000 work opportunities in the province, with a significant focus on empowering women, youth, and persons with disabilities. “In the months ahead, the programme is set for major shake ups that will see  adoption of the Khawuleza Model to characterise the new implementation approach. This comes after the government has reviewed the past four phases  of EPWP and is planning for the next phase which will see over five million opportunities being created,” said Mtshweni-Tsipane. In response to the high unemployment rate, the Mpumalanga Provincial Government established a Job War Room to coordinate efforts in enhancing job creation. Through 21 identified programmes, over 63 000 jobs have been created, including initiatives like the Siyatentela Road Maintenance Programme and the Premier’s Youth Development Fund. The latter has disbursed R258-million to fund 182 youth-owned enterprises, resulting in the creation of more than 630 jobs in sectors such asagriculture, mining, film production, and manufacturing. “The programme will be massified to create more employment opportunities as well as upskilling and reskilling, while attempting to solve the country’s  key challenges such as road maintenance, including pothole patching, brick paving and ensuring pothole free road networks, cleaning of neighbourhoods and waste management, energy work such as retrofitting of government buildings and solar installations,  and fixing water leaks and plumbing,” said Mtshweni-Tsipane. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://sundayworld.co.za/sponsored-content/we-will-recover-lost-jobs-and-create-more/

Thabo Makwakwa | 3 March 2024 Legal expert and former professor of law at Unisa, Advocate Isaac Shai, has raised concern over the composition of the judiciary, where a panel of five white judges presided over a racial discrimination case. Shai’s comments were triggered by roaring public concerns over the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling setting aside an interim interdict preventing Nedbank from closing the Sekunjalo Investments group’s bank accounts, and reopening those that had been already been closed. The case arose from a complaint by Sekunjalo of unfair racial discrimination against Nedbank. The black-owned group argued that Nedbank’s conduct constituted unfair discrimination based on race, pointing to “white-owned” companies Steinhoff Group, EOH, and Tongaat Hulett, which had all been found to have been involved in fraudulent conduct, but whose accounts Nedbank had opted not to close. In October last year, this interim interdict was appealed, but Judge Mokgoatji Dolamo still ruled in favour of Sekunjalo. Nedbank approached the SCA which then appointed a panel of five white judges, namely Judges Trevor Gorven, Pieter Meyer, Sharise Weiner, Ashley Binns-Ward, and Raylene Keightley who ruled in favour of Nedbank Shai, an Independent legal expert and current practising attorney, said: “White judges have no moral authority to make judgments and pronounce on issues of racial discrimination.” He said that allowing this would mean that whites were now defining to society what racism was. “People who were part of the problem cannot liberate us. It is an abomination to have an all-white panel of judges presiding over a racial discrimination matter and pronouncing on a matter about systemic oppression subjected to blacks. “The society is under siege, and the siege is called legal positivism. This theory will not liberate the African people. We need to ask if the law is separate from politics because the law is objective. “As members of society, we have particular beliefs, and the same applies to judges. Systemic racism should be understood very well, quite often people believe that racism is just about referring to a black person as a monkey. They often don’t look at systemic racism.” He felt that those who believed that the judiciary was being attacked whenever their court decisions were brought into question, were simply saying that judges should be left alone forgetting that they too were humans and they too cannot easily be separated from politics. “Critical race and legal theorists argue that law is politics. They pronounce that law objectivity is a fallacy and that law is not independent of politics. Judges are human beings who can easily be influenced and manipulated because politics influences our behaviour. Law is politics by other means.” Shai criticised the Constitution and said that it stated that there was no analysis of the role of law perpetuating apartheid. “We went to a statute and said this and that statute is racist and reformed. We went on a very cosmetic project that was not sufficiently analytical regarding how we needed to move. “We continued with the apartheid laws. There’s more continuity of apartheid laws in our courts. The legal culture has not changed and in between all these things, is the notion that is called legal positivism which tells how we should interpret the law. We need to ask ourselves why we have accepted this. We have done so because that’s how we are taught in law”. Approached for comment, the spokesperson of the Judicial Services Commission, Lusanda Ntuli, said on Wednesday last week that she would not be able to comment. Asked when she would be able to respond, she said: “I do not have a timeline but expect it next week.” In yet another concern over the conspicuous lack of racial diversity in the legal profession, North Gauteng High Court judge Mandlenkosi Motha demanded answers from an all-white legal team in a black economic empowerment case as to why there were no black lawyers in the team. Motha instructed both legal teams to address him regarding the lack of diversity in their teams in the case that he had presided over. It was a matter brought by Periform Work Scaffolding Engineering v the Commissioner of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Commission. Judge Motha cited potential violations of section 9.2 of the Constitution, which addresses the need to correct past inequalities, as his concern. He ordered the legal teams to submit head of arguments to him regarding the matter. Advocate CFJ Brand SC, who appeared on behalf of the respondent in the matter, issued a memorandum to the judge’s secretary to express his “shock” at the request. Brand stated that during his decades in the legal profession, he had never encountered any political remarks by any presiding officer during the trial. Thus, he was deeply “shocked” and “saddened” by Judge Motha’s emails. However, the Bar Council of the Pretoria Society of Advocates, in a statement issued Tuesday, clarified its position, saying it had never referred to Judge Motha’s directive being “inappropriate and indecent”, as quoted in the media. Neither did it express any opinion on the matter. It said the comments made to the media by one of its members, Advocate Francois Botes SC, were not authorised by the Bar Council of the PSA. It distanced itself from Botes’ comments and said the matter was under “consideration” by the Bar. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/sundayindependent/news/all-white-judges-presiding-over-equality-case-raises-experts-ire-f1343ae4-7373-45ec-9e87-00f7856f573b

GCIS Vuk'uzenzele | 5 March 2024 Thobani May, 28, from the Free State saw a business opportunity from clearing wattle trees. He collects the shrubs and converts to quality braai charcoal. This is all thanks to the Youth Employment Service (YES) programme that empowered him with the necessary skills. It was this training that saw May, together with Reatile Mohlauli, establish Eco Char. May, who teamed up with other young people, got inspiration from interacting with people who knew more about the impacts of excessive alien invasive plants. “We got to experience the advantages of clearing wattle and the results are breathtaking. More grass cover, restored water sources like springs and improved grazing lands. It has been a very long and stressful journey but through determination, we managed to keep going and aim even higher,” he said. Eco Char sells its produce to local supermarkets, street vendors and to local shisanyamas. May and his partners ensure that there’s no regrowth of the alien plant where they have cleared and also ensure that the work they do is environmentally friendly and promotes grass cover recovery. The start-up received funding from the Social Employment Fund (SEF), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Avocado Vision, Rural and Environmental Solution and the YES programme. The WWF bought them four kilns valued at R12,000 each, a chainsaw, brush cutter and other much-needed tools. Avocado Vision provided training, mentorship session, coaching sessions and bought a kiln valued at R11,000. Since 2023, Eco Char has created job opportunities for 12 people. “Since we started the business, we have hired more than 20 youths in our community and that makes us very happy,” May said “The amount of support we got from the YES programme is unmatched and motivating. We joined the programme in April 2021 and ended in March 2022. We were part of the programme for a year,” he explained further. May said in the coming years they would like to see themselves as one of the most promising charcoal producers in the country and hopefully expand services to other provinces. May encourages other young people to follow their dreams and be willing to pursue them. “As the youth of this country, it’s our job to make sure that we pave the way for the next generation and start businesses that will address the high unemployment issue we are facing as a country. We are the future,” he said.   ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/jobs/2024-03-05-may-turns-shrubs-into-sizzling-business/

Faranani DocTec | 5 March 2024 In South Africa, where the tech industry has long been dominated by men, there's a company breaking barriers and championing equality. Faranani DocTec, whose name means "working together" in Venda, is not just about providing technology solutions, but also about empowering women. Faranani DocTec focuses on helping businesses manage their information effectively. It provides software, hardware and consulting services to ensure that organisations implement solutions successfully and reap long-term benefits. In a country where statistics show a significant gender gap in the tech sector, Faranani DocTec stands out. According to the Commission for Employment Equity’s (CEE's) reports, the information and communication sector in South Africa had over 255 000 employees in the 2022/2023 financial year. Historically, men have dominated this field, but the trend is slowly shifting. Data from the CEE's reports reveals that in 2021, 60.5% of employees in the ICT sector were male, while only 39.5% were female. However, by 2023, the number of women in the sector had increased to 41.3%. There's progress, but there's still work to be done. Faranani DocTec is leading by example. While the industry average shows a higher proportion of male employees, Faranani DocTec has achieved a more balanced workforce. With 45% of its employees being female and 55% male, it is breaking stereotypes and showing that diversity in the workplace is not just a slogan, but a reality the company lives by. By prioritising gender diversity, Faranani DocTec is not only empowering women, but also contributing to a more inclusive and innovative tech industry in South Africa. Faranani DocTec understands that diversity fosters creativity, drives better decision-making and ultimately leads to business success. Through its commitment to women empowerment and dedication to excellence in technology solutions, Faranani DocTec is paving the way for a brighter and more equitable future in South Africa's tech landscape. As the company continues to grow and thrive, it inspires others to join them in working together towards a more inclusive and prosperous society. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.itweb.co.za/article/faranani-doctec-empowering-women-in-sas-tech-industry/KA3Wwqdz2NL7rydZ

Luis Monzon | 6 March 2024 The Limpopo government will launch a new programming skills course at the University of Limpopo on Wednesday. The programme will be marked by the opening of a new “Digital Innovation Lab” at the institution and is apparently tailored to improve ICT skills among young people in Limpopo in hopes connecting them to jobs. Amid one of the highest unemployment rates in the world, even with a matric certificate it isn’t much easier to find employment in South Africa, so every advantage and new skills helps. In fact, your chances of finding a job with matric are just 8 percent higher than without it, according to labour stats from last year. The innovation lab will be opened by the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma on Wednesday. The minister is expected to deliver a keynote speech at the event, also welcoming youths to the coding and programming initiative that the lab will oversee. According to SA News, this initiative will welcome young people to a 10-month software development course, with a curriculum that covers coding, the fundamental of programming and digital social innovation – the application of digital technologies to help with social ills. Manufacturer Samsung South Africa, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition and the University of the Limpopo collaborated in the development of the innovation lab. “This historic event marks a significant step towards empowering women, youth and persons with disabilities and encouraging innovation in Limpopo to showcase and inspire similar innovative measures for other young people across the country,” Minister Dlamini Zuma’s department said in a statement.  There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the university today, but unfortunately for the youth of Limpopo, which has the third highest unemployment of all provinces in the country, only 25 people will be able to take the 10-month course per year. This is simply not enough when more than 18 million people in South Africa are struggling to find jobs, especially those in Limpopo. Surely the lab could include more students per course, or perhaps the course could be broken down into two courses per 10 months instead of one. This is especially relevant with elections looming in May. More needs to be done. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://htxt.co.za/2024/03/new-coding-initiative-to-help-limpopo-youth-find-jobs/

Matthee and Solomon | 6 March 2024 Incubators will benefit from generating their own revenue and seeking additional revenue streams. SA faces unprecedented levels of unemployment. The government recognises the potential of the small, medium-sized and micro enterprise (SMME) sector to address this problem and has several policies and initiatives in place to support the sector. According to the Small Enterprise Development Agency, about 2.5-million SMMEs were registered in the country in the second quarter of 2022. Collectively, these businesses provided 9.31-million jobs, which constituted 59% of total employment at the time. As elsewhere in the world, the SA government considers business incubators to be a specialised small business development mechanism that has the potential to strengthen the SMME sector. Business incubators can, therefore, contribute to growth-orientated enterprises to address issues of small business failure and unemployment. Consequently, several public, university and private business incubators have emerged nationally to support and help grow sustainable and profitable SMMEs. Despite the emergence of business incubators, the SMME failure rate in SA remains one of the highest globally. Public business incubators are purposed to promote entrepreneurial activity among new and fledgling business ventures and facilitate the transfer and utility of resources and technologies. Public business incubators promote quality standards and improved productivity, thereby addressing the failure rate of SMMEs. University business incubators facilitate innovation and entrepreneurship via the commercialisation of research. They provide business support, resources, infrastructure and network opportunities for start-ups emerging from the academic community. Private business incubators promote entrepreneurship and innovation for profit. In addition, private business incubators accelerate the growth of start-ups by providing comprehensive support in terms of resources, network opportunities, mentorship support and access to venture capitalists. Despite the numerous business incubator programmes run by local government entities, private organisations and universities, their effect on the success of the SMME sector has not been well established. Previous scholars have, however, noted that the potential benefits of these programmes are often blocked by challenges such as the lack of financial sustainability and skills shortages. Other key inhibitors include limited business knowledge and skills, poor incubatee selection criteria, limited business space, lack of support from stakeholders, uncommitted clients and intense competition for resources. These inhibitors affect the ability of business incubators to perform optimally and in turn adversely affect the quality of support they can offer incubatees. We investigated the factors that hamper business incubators’ performance by conducting a cross-case analysis between public, private and university business incubators in SA. We interviewed relevant and experienced business incubator stakeholders, such as CEOs, COOs, business incubator managers, business development officers and incubatees over a six-month period in 2022. Our findings suggest that business incubators are in survival mode, so their sustainability is a grave concern. Our results indicate that a lack of financial resources was the number one inhibitor of success, followed by a lack of organisational resources. We further found that business incubators able to generate sufficient internal revenue (paid services, rental income and taking equity in incubated start-up enterprises) to cover operational costs had more autonomy and relative independence in their approach to business incubation (that is, delivering to their vision and mission). Conversely, when business incubators were unable to generate sufficient internal revenue and were reliant on external revenue (funding from the government, private organisations, and philanthropists), they had less autonomy and independence. Business incubators that rely on their sponsors for external revenue to survive often disengaged or “decoupled” from their primary vision and mission because of misalignment between objectives. Decoupling occurs when the incubator management must meet the objectives of their sponsors to secure funding and extend the business incubator’s sustainability. Our findings furthermore show that a lack of financial resources affected the ability of business incubators to attract and select competent human capital, such as the invested human skills, capabilities, expertise and competencies in the operations of a business incubator.  Incompetent human capital had an effect on the quality of incubation programmes they offered. A lack of organisational resources, particularly business incubators’ brand awareness, resulted in their inability to attract, develop and maintain a pipeline of good-quality proposals, which affected the quality of incubatees that these business incubators selected . Given the important role business incubators play in small enterprise development in SA, it is critical that both business incubators and their stakeholders understand the factors that hamper their performance. By understanding and attending to these factors, business incubators as a mechanism for economic development can be strengthened and avoid the risk of being dismissed as ineffective and irrelevant. To enhance their efficacy, business incubators should strengthen their ability to generate internal revenue and seek additional revenue streams. They should also focus on legitimacy and developing their brand and brand awareness by re-evaluating their marketing strategies, engaging in marketing intelligence and capitalising on their affiliations with well established organisations. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2024-03-06-self-reliant-business-incubators-key-to-growing-sustainable-smmes/

Jacques Farmer | 7 March 2024 As the 2024 national election draws near, South Africa stands at a crossroads. The air is filled with a sense of expectation, where hope for a better future mingles with anxieties about the challenges ahead. Citizens are hungry for leaders who will confront the man on the street’s most pressing challenges - unemployment and the skills crisis. The nation grapples with a staggering unemployment rate of 33.9%. These figures aren’t just numbers; they represent the harsh reality endured by millions, leading to widespread poverty, social unrest, and a deep-seated sense of despair. To break free from this crippling stagnation, a revolution is needed, not just political, but a revolution of education, skills, and opportunity. Bridging the gap between education and employment Such a revolution demands a concerted effort, from both the government and private sector. Investments in education must be intensified, ensuring quality learning reaches every corner of the country and vocational programmes must be given a complete overhaul. Gone are the days of generic qualifications; the modern, digital-first economy demands precision skills. But education alone is not enough, experience is necessary. Here, businesses must be geared to provide the right environment for learned theory to find practical application, and to maximise opportunities for skills growth and development. However, the government alone cannot orchestrate this revolution and the private sector, particularly industries like mining, must be used as a potent catalyst for change. Companies should look towards expanding employment opportunities through targeted training and development initiatives. For example, mining houses collaborating with local communities, nurturing the talent hidden within through multi-skilling programmes that equip locals to operate machinery, coupled with dedicated channels to integrate them into the workforce, would be a transformative step. To get to this point, it is crucial to move beyond skills development being a just tick-box exercise to garner points that only have corporate worth. We must transition to a mindset in which skills development becomes about igniting passion and fostering entrepreneurial spirit. This could be in the form of mentorship programmes led by industry veterans who share their wisdom and experience with eager young minds or business incubators sprouting up in mining towns, nurturing the seeds of local innovation and enterprise. Skills development as the catalyst for unity The union of education and employment must be seen not merely as a transactional exchange, but rather a powerful force for progress. Imagine a young woman from a rural village, equipped with the skills to operate a drone, mapping mineral deposits with precision. Imagine a young man, once struggling to make ends meet, transformed into a sought-after craftsman due to his welding capabilities. These are not stories; they are the building blocks of a brighter future when the right skills meet the right opportunities. This is the future we must strive for, a future where skills development acts as a bridge, connecting education to a fulfilling professional life, in which individuals are empowered to provide for themselves and their families. As a result, poverty will recede, replaced by the dignity of economic self-sufficiency. Crime rates will plummet, and communities, once fractured by despair, will find unity in their shared prosperity. As is clear, this isn't just an economic imperative; it's a moral one. An opportunity is presented to build a South Africa where dignity and hope are not luxuries, but fundamental rights. Forging strong partnerships between communities and corporates The 2024 election acts as a watershed opportunity. Let us choose leaders who understand this fundamental interplay between education and employment, leaders who will champion the skills revolution, who will invest in our youth, equipping them to become the architects of our tomorrow. To this end, training providers in every sector can make a significant difference by embracing this philosophy wholeheartedly and manifesting such a commitment through the provision of tailored training that recognises the importance of forging strong partnerships between corporates and communities. Training providers can turn box-ticking exercises into initiatives that are specifically designed to empower individuals, transform lives, and ignite a brighter future for all. Training providers can achieve this by dispensing the tools, providing guidance, and delivering a platform for communities to take charge of their own path toward growth and prosperity. Investing in the future of our country starts today As we stand on the cusp of change, ready to cast our ballots, let us remember – the seeds of progress can only be sown in education, nurtured by skills development, and reaped in the fertile ground of employment. Let us make the 2024 election a catalyst for real, lasting change, a moment where South Africa embraces the transformative power of the integration of education and employment. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.bizcommunity.com/article/bridging-the-gap-between-education-and-employment-for-south-africas-future-783152a

Nadiya Hattia | 7 March 2024 International Women’s Day (IWD) resonates through history as a beacon and a call to arms for the worldwide fight for women’s rights and gender equality. However, when we delve into the layers of this celebration, the specific obstacles encountered by South African women, particularly Black women, come to light. These challenges underscore the distinct historical and socio-political landscapes that define their battle,” states Nadiya Hattia, Service Desk Senior Consultant at The BEE Chamber. Rooted in the labour movements of the early 20th century, IWD was conceived amid calls for improved work conditions, equal pay, and the right to vote. Over the years, its scope expanded, encompassing a global plea to eradicate gender-based discrimination, violence, and inequality.  “The statistics, however, paint a stark reality,” explains Zena Harvey, Data Analyst at The BEE Chamber. “Only 26.5% of global parliamentary seats are occupied by women, there is an earnings gap of 23% – 33%, and a staggering 66% of illiterate individuals worldwide are women according to the Global Data on national Parliaments, UN Women 2023, Unesco 2023 Report.” The 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, During apartheid, Black South African women were not only fighting for basic women’s rights but also for their fundamental human rights. The 1956 Women’s March to the Union Buildings in Pretoria, where over 20,000 women protested against the pass laws, serves as a poignant example of their fight against the intersection of racial and gender oppression. These women were not merely advocating for gender equality, they were challenging an entire system of racial oppression that sought to deny them their basic dignity and rights as human beings. “The psychological toll of this compounded oppression cannot be exaggerated. The intersectionality of gender and racial discrimination leaves permanent imprints on mental health which manifest as heightened stress, anxiety, and a pervasive sense of injustice. In a society that systematically devalues based on race and gender, the struggle for identity and self-worth becomes an internal battle that affects self-esteem and mental well-being,” says Harvey. South African women confront challenges In the post-apartheid era, legal and constitutional steps toward gender equality have been made, yet South African women confront challenges distinct from their global counterparts. Gender-based violence, economic inequality, and the persistent echoes of apartheid’s racial hierarchies layer complexity onto their pursuit of equality. IWD, while a global call to arms, requires us to delve deeper to understand the unique struggles etched into the fabric of different regions. Harvey states: “As we commemorate IWD, let us not only acknowledge but also champion the diverse experiences of women worldwide. The journey towards equality is multifaceted and deeply influenced by historical and socio-political contexts.” Hattia adds: “While we celebrate progress, we must also champion the voiceless, especially in regions where the struggle for equal rights remains an ongoing battle.”  “Amidst adversity, let the resilience of South African women serve as our guiding light,” suggests Harvey, “a symbol that our quest for equality requires steadfast dedication and an indomitable will.” The BEE Chamber is committed to seeing women thrive in the workplace and that they receive the same opportunities presented to their male counterparts. By providing expert advice to help deliver improvements in B-BBEE business strategies, monitoring, and implementation, The BEE Chamber ensures that women in organisations are heard and prioritised as organisations plan for the future.  For more information on The BEE Chamber and the services it provides, please visit The BEE Chamber website, or contact the team via members@bee.co.za or 011 726-3052. https://www.womenontop.co.za/news/south-african-womens-unyielding-struggle-for-equality/