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Siviwe Melapi | 20 September 2023 Cape Town - Local radio station Smile FM has promised to create job opportunities for about 10 000 people before Christmas. Over the next 12 weeks, it will reveal the companies that will also be helping with this campaign. Looking at how South Africa’s unemployment rate has remained high for many years, Smile FM, with Leelyn Management, in association with the City, decided to join hands pledging to be this year’s Father Christmas to unemployed Capetonians by finding them jobs before December 25. Managing director Lois O’Brien said the station was determined to tackle the status quo, taking positive action to make a difference in people’s lives and staying true to their name by putting smiles on faces. “As the go-to radio station in Cape Town, we’re proud to be able to leverage our network and audience to connect deserving job seekers with employers, helping improve the lives of families all across the Cape Town metropole.” Breakfast show host Ryan O’Connor said they were calling on companies to let them know when they had jobs so they could connect them with job seekers in their area with the requisite skills. Economic Growth Mayco member James Vos said in the past three years, almost 89 000 people had signed up to the platform and completed the assessment. “The City is working on multiple fronts to create an environment that gives businesses the space to grow while creating employment opportunities for Capetonians. “The metro’s unemployment rate fell by 7% year-on-year thanks to the projects and programmes we have enacted, such as our work with partners in Cape Town’s high-growth industries to drive skills development that makes people more employable. “We are also proud to lead the Jobs Connect workforce development programme in which unemployed people are able to find training and work opportunities on a platform that is easy to use and comes at a minimal cost.” Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said: “The City is pleased to partner with Smile FM to facilitate thousands more employment opportunities for Capetonians using our Jobs Connect platform. We call on businesses to support this initiative and for job seekers to make use of the support on offer, including help with CV formulation.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/news/cape-radio-station-pledges-to-create-jobs-for-about-10-000-individuals-before-christmas-4eab8507-bf5b-45d5-8b6d-17c84d3f7a31

Vusi Mona | 19 September 2023 The South African National Roads Agency (Sanral) submits, for the benefit of Moneyweb’s readers, the following perspective on the transformation of the construction industry in response to ‘Sanity will prevail’ in preferential procurement rules dispute – WBHO, a news article published by Roy Cokayne on 15 September 2023 without approaching Sanral for comment. Given that Sanral’s preferential procurement policy is before the courts – and out of respect for the judiciary – we do not intend to ventilate the merits of our case in the media. However, it is untenable that the leadership of the construction companies involved in the litigation are given so much space to air their views while ours is ignored. We, therefore, deem it important to share with the public that Sanral is vigorously implementing its transformation policy. Economic transformation is an important requirement of the Constitution of South Africa and is not only the imperative of government but of all fair-minded South Africans, not least of business. Overall, there has been progress in the first 30 years of democracy. However, certain sectors require specific interventions to increase the pace of transformation. It is no secret that the construction sector is lagging behind. The transformation of our society must translate into meaningful change for the people who were disadvantaged by decades and centuries of apartheid and colonialism. In transforming the construction industry, we are not only advancing government’s broad transformation objectives but also ensuring that communities and black businesses benefit from the Constitutionally enshrined principle of economic empowerment. Almost 30 years into our democracy, we have learned that the transformation of businesses and the economy must go way beyond ownership. It is not enough for companies to be black-owned; it is also important to look at how communities will benefit from their contracts. Sanral’s intervention has ensured that communities benefit from jobs going to locals as well as smaller subcontracts going to local businesses. In many instances, smaller companies have used their interactions with Sanral as a way of upgrading their company’s status, ensuring that they are able to bid for contracts outside of their area of origin. Sanral is aware that transformation is a highly contested area in South Africa and that there are many, particularly those in business, who rail against it because they perceive it to be negatively impacting on their profits. We ask them to consider whether any right-thinking business can allow the inequalities, poverty, and unemployment in our country to remain unchallenged. We are guilty of trying to correct this untenable situation, and of that we are proud. Sanral will vigorously pursue our mandate to improve the quality of the country’s road infrastructure, contribute towards growing our economy and transform the construction industry in order to achieve greater participation from previously disadvantaged communities. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/south-africa/right-of-reply-sanral-responds-to-criticism-of-new-preferential-procurement-rules/

Opinion | 19 September 2023 The Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) welcomes the Public Procurement Bill currently before the National Assembly. The federation has campaigned for many years for this critical bill to reach Parliament. This is a long-overdue progressive bill that will lay the foundation for a single public procurement system across the entire state, e.g. departments, municipalities, entities and state-owned enterprises. Currently and amazingly, there is no single public procurement framework and, as a consequence, the situation in state institutions is akin to the Wild West with many doing as they please and little space for the legislatures or the public to hold them accountable. The existing legislative gaps were exposed by the 2022 Constitutional Court finding that the Treasury lacked the legislative power to set local content and broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) public procurement criteria. This resulted in the scrapping of the preferential procurement regulations the government had put in place to support B-BBEE and locally produced goods. The Zondo Commission heard countless evidence of how our leaky public procurement systems enable industrial-scale corruption and wasteful expenditure. Cosatu and organised business engaged extensively with the Treasury on the bill at the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). We are pleased that we reached consensus on many key interventions and the majority of the bill’s provisions. Cosatu’s support for the bill is premised upon its: – Establishing a single public procurement framework for the entire state. This will establish common standards across fragmented and chaotic government institutions. This is fundamental if we are to be hold the state accountable. – Requiring public procurement processes to support local content and B-BBEE. This is key to supporting and creating local jobs, transforming our still racially skewed economy, and growing our fragile manufacturing sectors and creating badly needed jobs. – Creating a single portal where all tender information will be available to the public, thus shining a massive spotlight on the murky world of tenders and helping expose corruption. – Enabling the centralised procurement of certain key items to save the fiscus badly-needed funds, e.g. allowing it to purchase vehicles or medical supplies in bulk at negotiated reduced prices. – Empowering the Treasury’s Chief Procurement Office to halt procurement falling foul of the law. This will be a powerful tool to tackle corrupt tenders. While the federation supports this critical anti-corruption bill and looks forward to its passage through Parliament, we believe the bill and its regulations need to be strategically strengthened to: – Elevate local content into a requirement for public procurement. This is key to nurturing local industries and badly needed jobs. Currently the bill simply provides for points to be allocated for local procurement. This is insufficient and, in effect, makes it optional. Some argue that the state should not be required to support locally produced goods if cheap imports are available as this will save it money. The problem with this short-sighted approach is that imports are often cheaper because they have been subsidised by their own governments. Our number one crisis is our dangerously high 42.1% unemployment rate. Supporting locally produced goods is the fastest and most sustainable way to grow local businesses, value chains and jobs. Money spent on locally produced goods circulates within the economy and much is returned to the state through taxes. Money spent on imports is immediately repatriated to that country. – Incentivise whistle-blowers who expose corruption. This will be key if we are to turn the tide in this existential battle. Public procurement and its R1 trillion annual expenditure are the heart of state capture. The police are woefully under-resourced to defeat this cancer eating at the heart of the state. The public is paying the price for this. Incentivising persons to blow the whistle on public procurement corruption by offering them a percentage of the money recovered will provide a powerful incentive for persons with actionable information on corruption to take the risk and blow the whistle. This would be a game-changer for South Africa. – Require the disclosure and recording of any relatives of politically influential persons who receive tenders as a way of preventing the abuse of public procurement by politicians. The bill takes a bold stance against state capture and nepotism by its ban on public representatives, political party leaders and state officials from doing business with the state. It prohibits their immediate relatives from doing business with the state institutions where their relatives are employed. It requires these persons to disclose the details of these relatives when applying for tenders. To take these progressive requirements to their logical conclusion, it is critical that a register be kept of such persons, and it be publicly accessible. As we enter the final stretch of the 6th administration, Parliament must strengthen and expedite this progressive bill into law. We cannot afford any further delays in rebuilding our public procurement system. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/most-welcome-public-procurement-bill-takes-a-bold-stance-against-state-capture-and-nepotism-cosatu-b1c9c90d-fe82-4dfe-a004-6f76527b3f31

BusinessTech | 18 September 2023 The Play Your Part Small Business Academy offers world-class practical business courses to help young people realise their business dreams. Brand SA's Play Your Part initiative, a nationwide programme designed to inspire and celebrate active citizenship, has expanded to an academy that will boost entrepreneurship. In collaboration with the Start Up Tribe, the Brand SA Play Your Part Small Business Academy aims to equip thousands of people with essential tools and skills needed to fulfil their business aspirations. Tailored for people from various backgrounds, the academy's practical courses provide invaluable guidance for students, start-ups and small businesses alike. As SA's youth grapple with an alarming unemployment rate of 46.5%, initiatives such as the Play Your Part Small Business Academy are beacons of hope for the nation's young people. SA also faces a skills shortage across many industries. The academy aims to address this with its array of free short business development courses. These courses serve as a springboard for budding entrepreneurs, encouraging them to take their initial steps into the world of business. In March 2023, young successful entrepreneurs endorsed and supported the Play Your Part Small Business Academy across multiple social media platforms. Recognising the commitment to support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the academy was awarded the Certificate of SME Support Excellence from the global organisation, World Class Cities. The academy has had an influx of young people enrolling in and inquiring about their courses. They've hinted at expanding their offering to accommodate new academic faculties. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.businesslive.co.za/redzone/news-insights/2023-09-18-native-brand-sa-empowers-countrys-youth-with-free-sme-academy/

Sue Segar | 18 September 2023 A young woman, from a household where nobody has worked before, joins a programme as one of 20 black women trained to become commercial drone pilots. Soon she will be running her own drone business, servicing an ever-growing demand. A young man – identified as a talented youth – joins Nedbank as an intern. A year or so later, he is appointed full-time engaged in business analytics in the bank’s IT division. A young person from a Western Cape community known for gangsterism, is part of a group of 150 youths to be trained as a barista. His future looks bright. All these youngsters are part of the fast-growing Youth Employment Services (YES) programme, a national business-led movement of South African companies, which, in collaboration with the government, aims to address South Africa’s biggest socio-economic crisis – unemployment. 117 851 young people placed in first job experience The YES programme – the country’s biggest social impact programme for jobs that is fully funded by the private sector – is growing from strength to strength, said YES CEO Ravi Naidoo. Naidoo said that, as of last month (August) a total of 117 851 young people had been placed in their first private sector job experience. The programme is proving to be a “game changer” in South Africa where the low economic growth rate means that the unemployment trend is not reversing. More than 400 000 job-seekers come into the market annually, but, over the past ten years, only about 150 000 jobs have been created each year. The YES programme, an initiative of CEOs from organisations countrywide, kicked off, operationally, in 2018. The programme formally got going in 2019, but had to virtually shut down during COVID-19. “Since COVID, the programme has rocketed. Most of these 117 000 jobs have come in during the last two years. Last year the number increased by about 30 percent in terms of the number of people joining the programme. “A lot of companies are joining now: we have 1 549 companies sponsoring these interns,” Naidoo said. The programme is open to talented black South African youth between 18 and 35 years old, with a matric qualification, and who are currently unemployed. About 61 percent of YES participants are from social grant-recipient households.. 12 month internship The learners sign a 12-month contract with businesses to gain experience in the workplace. During the programme, they are equipped with practical knowledge and skills in future-facing sectors, so as to encourage entrepreneurship and improve their chances of finding employment. It is also an opportunity for them to demonstrate their abilities, embrace a work ethic, and prove their worth. They receive a stipend to cover basic expenses. “Typically, these youths come from very disadvantaged backgrounds. We give them their first work experience … in jobs and opportunities that can stick in the economy. The youth will, hopefully, go on to develop a career, become absorbed into a private sector job … or start their own business and become the employers of the future. We give them the skills, work experience, and social networks needed to help them become change makers who contribute to the country’s economic prosperity.” “We want as many of these people as possible from these backgrounds to get these opportunities they otherwise would never get because that’s how you build a broader economic base. Many of these youths will continue to interact with their old communities, and to have an impact there. “What we need are jobs and initiatives that have a multiplier effect down the line. If South Africa is to succeed over the next 10 years, we need to get as many of our talented youths as possible into meaningful roles in the economy,” Naidoo said. Renewables and tourism present many opportunities The YES initiative is now part of the sector plan for the renewables sector plan for SA, where there is a dearth of skills. “We want to get many more youths to learn the technical skills to build capacity in that industry.” He added that the programme is currently also partnering with the Western Cape government. “The premier announced a partnership with YES in May, during the state of the province address. We are already putting people into programmes in the Cape.” Naidoo commended the corporate sector for buying into the YES programme, adding there are a number of benefits to do so, in terms of BEE and other benefits. “We find that BEE level 1 companies still work with us because they can use our programme for their sustainability reports.” Asked about future plans, Naidoo said they hope to get more companies to join the YES programme. “We had our best month ever in June, when 5 298 youths were sponsored. In terms of our collaboration with the Western Cape government, we intend to assess the growth opportunities in the province and then channel some of the youths into these growing sectors. In the Cape, a key sector we are interested in is Tourism. We currently have a number of young people working in that sector already. We also plan to place more youths into renewables and solar PV-type work because there are huge opportunities, countrywide, in that sector. There is a huge opportunity for us to grow our capacity as a country while we fix loadshedding … and, in the process to become the experts in the world, because there is going to be loadshedding all over the world – they just don’t know it yet!” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.cbn.co.za/industry-news/skills-training-development/yes-programme-yields-long-term-results/

The liquidity of an Enterprise Development Beneficiary matters. A long-term Enterprise & Supplier Development Strategy more often than not incorporates future Bonus Points for elevating a Beneficiary from Enterprise Development status to that of Supplier Development. However, core to successfully claiming these points is that the Enterprise or Supplier Development Beneficiary remains in business. In other words, claims only qualify if an Enterprise or Supplier Development Beneficiary’s business is liquid and actively trading. Therefore, organisations must put measures in place to track the performance of their Beneficiaries. Enterprise & Supplier Development Services are available to Members to assist with crafting sustainable Enterprise & Supplier Development strategies.

On 08 September 2023, SANAS has issued a notification to all B-BBEE Rating Agencies with regards to Submission of B-BBEE Verification Certificates and Reports to B-BBEE Sector Councils. Part of the notification states: During the STC meeting held on 5 April and 23 November 2022, the members decided that SANAS should check whether the B-BBEE Certificates and Reports were submitted to the Sector Council. The verification agencies must check and ensure that the rated measured entities have submitted the previous and current B-BBEE Certificates and Reports to their specific sector. This submission process will be assessed from the beginning of 2023/24, i.e. 1 April 2023. We encourage Members to take note of this Notification and submit accordingly to the relevant B-BBEE Sector Councils. B-BBEE Verification Services are available to assist members in understand these requirements.

The Financial Sector Transformation Council (FSTC) has recently released the 2020/21 State of Transformation Report which covers the theme of “Intentionality Beyond Tick Boxes: How meaningful is the transformation agenda?” The Report highlights the performance of the Financial Services Sector in respect of Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment as well as the challenges that are still being faced. The below table extracted from the Report summarises the B-BBEE Statuses Levels of Large Enterprises operating in the Financial Services Sector. Members are welcome to engage further with the BEE Chamber to discuss aspects of the 2020/21 State of Transformation Report released by the FSTC.

Mandisa Nyathi | 15 September 2023 ActionSA has made bold plans to repeal the contentious Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act, proposing to replace it instead with new policies. The party held its inaugural three-day policy conference this week to thrash out some of its key positions that will feed into a manifesto to attract voters in next year’s elections. ActionSA resolved that black economic empowerment (BEE) has, in its current form, failed to uplift black South Africans and there is a need to develop innovative and viable solutions to address persistent inequality in the country. Party leader Herman Mashaba told delegates that ActionSA would establish an opportunity fund with the help of the private sector to invest exclusively in grassroots opportunity generation among black, coloured and Indian communities who have been historically disadvantaged. ActionSA’s stance follows that of the Democratic Alliance, which rejected BEE in 2018, claiming the policy was not working. President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in the past, defended the ANC policy. ActionSA chief director of governance Nasiphi Moyo said the party’s objective was to ensure that every South African, regardless of their circumstances, had access to equal opportunities for success. “This can be achieved by knocking down human development barriers propelled by the apartheid government’s discriminatory policies. As an organisation, we support black empowerment,” Moyo said, adding that by “black, we are referring to all racial groups that were discriminated against by the apartheid government. This includes coloured people, Indians, and Asians”. Mashaba, who has often been accused of expressing xenophobic views towards African immigrants, said the current immigration regime made it hard for people to come to the country legally. He, however, acknowledged that South Africa had been built by migrants and still needed to attract skilled external labour to prosper. “But people must come here legally and, when they’re here, they must respect our laws,” he added. “We will deport you immediately if you break our rules under an ActionSA government. We are not going to play games with anyone. Immigration is one of those subjects that I’m unapologetic about.” He said ActionSA believed people seeking refuge in South Africa from “despotic countries” should be assisted, but only when they had credible documentation from their home countries. Mashaba said there was a strong push by party “extremists” who wanted stricter immigration laws, pitting them against those opposed to this suggestion. “On the one hand, there are those who want to ignore our borders or call anyone xenophobic for raising the issue of the failed implementation of our immigration regulations and our porous borders. “On the other side, there are those who are wilfully blind to the benefits that regulated immigration can offer our country, and act like quasi-law enforcement officials by unlawfully raiding businesses and detain[ing] people,” he said. ActionSA Limpopo leader Selo Lediga said that immigration was a big talking point for the province because “many immigrants use the Limpopo border to gain entry to the country”. Lediga called for a change in policing systems in the country and the deployment of the South African National Defence Force to secure borders. “Limpopo is the entry point of people from SADC [Southern African Development Community]. So the failure of the current government to manage our borders means that all these people that you see here, actually have to pass through Limpopo,” he said. John Moodey, the party’s senate member, said ActionSA would pass stringent laws to combat lawlessness. “Just like we cannot tolerate South Africans who break our laws, we must equally not tolerate people from other countries who break our laws,” he said. “It is time to take a harsher stance on criminals after they have been prosecuted as well. Our communities are under siege from hardened criminals and syndicates who have no regard for human life or dignity, yet our penal laws favour these very criminals and do little to deter their actions.” The party added in its policy proposals that there was a need to reaffirm a commitment to democratic principles and peaceful resolution to conflict in the country’s foreign affairs stance. “ActionSA affirms that respecting the borders and autonomy of neighbouring countries is essential for regional stability and development,” it said. It added that it would continue to advocate for a fair multilateral system that ensures equitable representation and power-sharing between countries from the global north and south. “Through diplomacy, south-south cooperation, and alliance-building, South Africa seeks to influence global decision-making processes and advocate for reforms that address the imbalances in the international system.” The party also adopted a policy on a universal basic income, the expansion of social welfare grants and a one-year of voluntary vocation service for school leavers. Mashaba said this was meant to help people who left high school with no prospects of studying further or finding a job. “This reality is true for too many young people and ActionSA must provide young people with the place to learn skills, gain experience, and drive the meaning that comes with work and productivity,” Mashaba said. The party also adopted a policy that would relax visa requirements to allow qualified migrants to enter the country, including expanding the list of countries whose citizens can visit South Africa without visas and implementing e-visas and visa-on-arrival programmes. ActionSA however rejected its leader’s strong opinion in favour of the death penalty, arguing that it was in breach of human rights. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://mg.co.za/politics/2023-09-15-actionsa-comes-down-hard-on-bee-migration/

SA Good News | 15 September 2023 JOHANNESBURG: 13 September 2023 – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) has granted $1.3 million (just over R24 million) to NGO Save the Children in South Africa for youth entrepreneurship and social innovation projects over a three-year period. Save the Children has been adopted as part of the Accenture Skills 2 Succeed (S2S) programme. Accenture has been working with Save the Children in other countries, but this is the first time they have engaged the South Africa cohort. “The programme aims to equip young men and women who experience the most inequality in South Africa with the skills needed to pursue decent work and economic growth successfully. The programme also equips youth with the attitudes, knowledge and values to develop a sustainable and resource-efficient society,” states Khethiwe Nkuna, Responsible Business Executive for Accenture in Africa. “The project will reach youth ages 15-24 in Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Gauteng Provinces who experience the most inequality and discrimination, including women, migrants, refugees and unaccompanied youth,” she adds. Nkuna further explains that Accenture plans to engage 30,000 youth (50% women) through awareness-raising interventions on skills development, employment readiness, gender equality and inclusion, green job opportunities and climate change. “We also aim to improve the knowledge and skills of 20,000 youth (50% women), including 100 migrant, refugee and unaccompanied youth, through training in employability skills, and growth and green mindset,” she says. Accenture emphasises that this entrepreneurship-focused program will support 12,000 youth (50% women) in improving career readiness and resiliency, finding decent jobs, building their businesses or continuing to higher education, as well as reach 860 adults, including educators, CSO staff, parents, caregivers community leaders and employees to create an enabling environment for youth’s career readiness and resiliency. Why focus on South Africa now? South Africa is classified as a middle-income country with a high human development index rating. However, it is one of the most unequal countries in the world. Poverty, unemployment and environmental degradation exist alongside wealth, modern cities and developed infrastructure. Despite high standards for some children regarding living conditions, access to education and employment prospects, many of South Africa’s children and youth face a future of unemployment, underemployment and hazardous work. Consequently, poverty and protection issues abound. To help address the complexity and interrelated nature of the issues vulnerable young people face in South Africa, Nkuna lists the scope of this project that will focus on the following matters: Developing the career readiness and resilience required of youth to enter emerging job markets: Vulnerable youth will be equipped with the necessary skills in the job market. Accenture will support young people with growth in employability skills and green mindset training to improve their chances of obtaining formal, green, decent jobs. “To account for the fact that undocumented migrants may not be able to enter the formal sector, we will conduct a pilot to provide undocumented migrant youth with training on entrepreneurship skills, materials and in-kind support for viable business ideas. This is especially important for migrant girls to avoid falling into situations of exploitation,” states Nkuna. Job linkages, focusing on green jobs: The project will promote in-school and out-of-school youth connections with employers. The project will conduct job fairs, informational talks, career counselling and awareness-raising campaigns to create an enabling environment where young people understand what work is available, how to access it, and where they can be supported. These activities will benefit employers’ understanding of young people’s skills, where to find them, and what development they might need. Closing the digital skills gap: The project will address the divide regarding young people’s lack of access to technology, connectivity, and basic digital skills. The project will work with partners to provide youth with essential digital skills training and internet connectivity through local Community Service Organisations (CSOs). “This will help young people access the job market using technology and increase their skillsets and employability – a big focus for Accenture,” shares Nkuna. Addressing the specific needs of migrant boys and girls: The project will address young migrants and asylum seekers’ unique needs. The project will build their capacity to successfully transition to decent employment by strengthening their transferrable life skills, business skills, financial literacy, and vocational training skills. Unleashing the power of young people as advocates and leaders for social and climate action: The programme will form a Youth Advisory Council (YAC) with programme participants. YAC members will receive additional training in leadership, communication and advocacy. The YAC will advise the programme and elevate the voices of young people in programme implementation. The YAC will also be the leading force for youth-led advocacy. Understanding and improving gender equality in the labour market: The Labour Market Assessment undertaken at the beginning of this project will collect data to understand barriers young women face in obtaining and retaining decent employment and employers’ needs and challenges when employing women. “Participants for the project will be selected from public schools, afterschool programs, TVET colleges, CSO and community youth programs, youth-centric Community Service Organisations (CSOs), and Community Based Organisations (CBOs) in local township communities and existing Save the Children programmes,” says Marumo Sidwell Sekgobela, Acting Programmes Director at Save the Children South Africa. “Employee engagement initiatives with Accenture will also support us with implementation of programme.” “Accenture’s investment will enable Save the Children to build upon strong S2S programming by extending the programme and adding new countries. It will also add innovative elements to address inequality, empower youth to be voices of change and give them the skills they need to succeed in the green economy. Together, we will equip youth to pursue new economic opportunities and contribute to developing a just, sustainable, and resource-efficient society,” Nkuna concludes. About Accenture Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent- and innovation-led company with 732,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners, and communities. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.sagoodnews.co.za/accenture-grants-1-3-million-to-save-the-children-for-youth-entrepreneurship-and-social-innovation/

Comfort Makhanya | 17 September 2023 The agency and foundation have a mutual inclination towards the attainment of national development objectives. The National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) and MTN Foundation have formed a groundbreaking partnership, demonstrating the commitment of both public and private sectors to youth development in South Africa. On September 8, the agency and the foundation hosted a Memorandum of Agreement signing ceremony at NYDA’s head office in Midrand. The two organisations will collaborate to provide education, employment, training, and job opportunities for young people, preparing them for the challenges of the future. This partnership reflects a critical alignment of interests between the agency and the foundation, marking a significant step towards realising the ambitious goals of the National Development Plan. Asanda Luwaca, the executive chairperson of the agency, said, “The partnership will help bridge the gap between resilient young people and those willing to transform that resilience into something that will improve their conditions.” Arthur Mukhuvha, the foundation’s general manager, expressed the importance of private-public sector partnerships. He said the foundation was dedicated to equipping young people with the tools and resources needed for a brighter future. Mukhuvha emphasised the significance of digital skills training and how it would expand horizons, fostering innovative thinking and adaptability in the youth, which were essential traits for success. A local youth, Thabo Mopeli commended the agency and said, “Wow, NYDA means business. Thank you NYDA team. We appreciate what you are doing for the youth.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://midrandreporter.co.za/323901/nyda-and-mtn-foundation-join-hands-in-youth-development/

Siphelele Dludla | 14 September 2023 The South African government has capitulated to the demand that it reduces the requirements for black ownership to be below 51% in the qualification criteria for the R1.2 billion Tourism Equity Fund (TEF). The TEF was launched in January 2021 by the Department of Tourism to provide a new financial support mechanism to stimulate investment and transformation in the tourism sector. However, the fund was placed on hold after lobby group AfriForum and trade union Solidarity brought the case before the High Court, contesting the legality and rationality of the 51% black-owner/managed qualification criteria for the fund. Last week, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille confirmed that she would seek Cabinet approval for the TEF as her department has revised the qualification criteria after the fund was stalled for more than two years due to litigation. Speaking during the post-Cabinet media briefing today, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet was updated on the settlement reached on the implementation of the TEF as a result of the court case brought by AfriForum and Solidarity. “Cabinet was updated on the actions taken to implement the settlement agreement and the changes to the TEF, effected on the basis of the settlement agreement,” Ntshavheni said. “The department and the Minister of Tourism were taken to court by AfriForum and Solidarity, which delayed the implementation of the TEF, and because the case was being prolonged, it was prudent to find an out-of-court settlement. The settlement was then we are going to implement the TEF in line with the current BEE Codes applicable to the Department of Tourism. “Accordingly, the TEF will be implemented in line with existing Tourism Sector Code targets of minimum 30% black ownership instead of the 51% originally proposed TEF targets. Cabinet supported the implementation of the TEF.” The fund will provide a combination of debt finance and grant funding to facilitate equity acquisition as well as new project development in the tourism sector by black entrepreneurs. The Department of Tourism will capitalise the fund with an amount of R540 million, which will be matched with a contribution of R120m from the Small Enterprise Finance Agency and R594m from commercial banks that will be participating in the programme. The two groups who challenged the implementation of the TEF in court suggested that it deviated materially from the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act, read with the Tourism Code. At the time, AfriForum and Solidarity said the Covid-19 crisis had highlighted the government’s race-based objectives and wanted to use the plight of people in the tourism industry as an opportunity to drive their transformation agenda, while cadres with political connections cannot use the crisis in the tourism sector as an opportunity to fill their pockets. The court eventually ruled that the foundation of the TEF was unconstitutional. However, in April this year, the department proposed to settle the matter, and the groups accepted the settlement and withdrew their litigation, thereby unblocking the TEF. When De Lille reflected on her 100 days in office in June, she said the revised implementation plan was being finalised within the existing B-BBEE legislation and the Tourism B-BBEE Codes. She said the target was to have the TEF fully disbursed by March 2024 and to develop and implement mechanisms to unlock the implementation of the TEF to ensure black ownership within the confines of the law and support small to medium enterprises in the tourism sector. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/economy/black-ownership-requirement-for-tourism-equity-fund-revised-914708eb-676b-4daa-95d0-0c5ecde51ab1