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Irma Venter | 10 August 2023 A hundred newly trained electric bike (e-bike) riders from the communities of Joe Slovo and Phoenix, in Cape Town, have graduated from the Green Riders Academy. Green Riders is a turnkey mobility company, operating a fleet of electric delivery bicycles. The 18-month-old company has clinched fleet partnership deals with a number of aggregators, such as Mr D (Takealot), Bolt Food, UberEATS, Pick n Pay, as well as online fashion platform Bash. Riders within the group have the opportunity to own their delivery e-bikes, through a two-year rent-to-own scheme. Green Riders says it aims to create 50 000 job opportunities for previously disadvantaged young South Africans over the next five years, while also spearheading the greening of the last-mile delivery sector by converting it from “costly motorbikes” to cost-effective, eco-friendly e-bikes. “Green Riders will transform the face of micro-mobility in South Africa,” says Green Riders executive chairperson Richard Clarke. “We will employ thousands of young South African men and women over the next few years, substantially improving their lives – enabling them to support their families and contribute meaningfully to their communities. “We are grateful to Absa, the Jobs Fund and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator for their support in enabling us to train and transition over 1 000 youth in 2023 during our pilot phase for this ambitious project.” The Green Riders Academy training programme is a 12-week course that combines classroom-style learning with practical experience. It is designed to equip young people with the skills to become professional delivery riders. The curriculum covers a range of disciplines, including e-bike handling and road safety, customer etiquette and sales, communication, navigation, food hygiene and aggregator app usage. Graduates of this programme should master the art of efficient last-mile delivery, “enabling them to become sought-after professionals in this fast-growing industry”, says Green Riders. Looking ahead, the company says it has forged new partnerships with Youth Employment Service, Hollard Insurance and the Ford Motor Company to support riders with a 12-month work experience programme to ensure that they receive financial support during their first year as new delivery operators. In addition, the Green Riders team will collaborate with Pick n Pay on a pilot programme to enable riders to earn passive income through revenue from advertising on their e-bike delivery boxes. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/hundred-new-e-bike-riders-graduate-fromgreen-riders-academy-2023-08-10

Uber | 10 August 2023 Uber Eats has signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED), to implement the Township Development Act by leveraging the power of technology to create earning opportunities for merchants and delivery people in township communities. The partnership sees Uber Eats investing R200 million over the next three years, targeting 2,000 delivery people and 700 restaurants to sign up to the Uber Eats platform. This investment is an ongoing effort which will go towards hardware, training, campaigns, and account support. The initiative will be rolled out in phases over the course of the three years. By March 2024, Uber Eats is aiming to onboard 200 merchants and 150 delivery people. “This MoU aims to stimulate township economies through digitalisation”, Nakampe Molewa, General Manager for Uber Eats Sub Saharan Africa explains. “Uber Eats is perfectly positioned to deliver on this goal, harnessing our technology to uplift township economies and transform the lives of township residents. Our commitment will also make township markets more viable for local technology platforms, with more delivery people and merchants online.” “We have launched this initiative in line with the Township Economic Development Act of 2022, which aims to unlock economic development for SMEs in township communities. We are pleased to have partners such as Uber Eats team up with us in our vision of enabling over 10,000 township businesses to access growth opportunities. This is an outstanding example of the power of public-private partnerships and we are proud to be working together on a project which is certain to change the lives of thousands of South Africans,” says MEC Tasneem Motara of the GDED. The guidance received by participants will equip them with skills to function in the digital economy, while also helping to bridge the townships’ digital divide. Molewa adds that the partnership provides a platform to invite emerging online e-commerce platforms to participate in township economies and, on the flip side, makes it possible for township enterprises to expand their reach beyond local markets. Through this partnership, township businesses will be able to access new opportunities, reaching a broader customer base and expanding market reach. “This has positive implications not only for job creation but will also help to grow the economy of Gauteng,” points out Motara. She adds that further economic growth and diversification in the townships will be driven by the attention attracted by the strategic partnership, which will lead to more investment from various sectors. “This will help us develop a vibrant and competitive economy in the townships, especially in the digital sector.” Molewa adds.“When we first started operating in South Africa 10 years ago, we committed to creating an impact as a partner for continued growth, driving innovation in our communities. And we plan to continue in this manner.” ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-08-10-uber-eats-invests-r200m-to-create-economic-opportunities-for-youth-in-township-economies/

Khethukuthula Xulu | 10 August 2023 KZN Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube says she is living proof that gender equality is possible. The Premier of KwaZulu-Natal, Nomusa Dube-Ncube told the women of the province that they were not second-class citizens and that she was living proof that gender equality is possible. Dube-Ncube was speaking at the KZN Women’s Day celebrations held in her home town at the Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu, Durban, on Wednesday. "I greet you proudly, standing on the broad shoulders of the more than 20 000 strong and feisty women who, in 1956, rewrote the history of South Africa by marching to the Union Buildings to demand an end to the abominable and racist pass laws. They were led by women of valour and substance, among them, Sophie de Bruyn, Lillian Ngoyi, Helen Joseph and Rahima Moosa, who forced the then prime minister JG Strydom to flee." “By doing so, these women inspired the famous saying: ‘You touch a woman, you touch a rock, you will die. Wathint’abafazi wathint’imbokodo uzokufa, finish’.” She said the resilience and fortitude demonstrated by these women reassured women that their role in society, in places of worship, in the judiciary, in government, could no longer be reduced to statistics and “politically correct gimmicks”. She said it must be understood that women make meaningful contributions to the economy of the country, in communities and in their families. “Women are not second-class citizens”, she said. Dube-Ncube reported that, in line with this year’s theme of economic empowerment, all provincial government departments set aside budgets for women’s programmes from April 2022 to March 2023. “The total budget spent on women programmes is R812 364 017,50, which attributes to 39% of the overall budget allocated to provincial Government departments. The Department of Transport and the Department of Human Settlements are commended for spending 52% of their overall budget on the Women Empowerment Programme,” she said. She said the Office of the Premier, as the transversal co-ordinating department, synchronises women programmes that cut across the provincial government, has led several women empowerment programmes, such as women in informal business who are often invited to exhibit their work in government-led programmes. “From the R10 million sponsorship towards the gender-based violence and femicide (GBVF) response programme, half-a-million rand has been donated to open door centres for provision of economic empowerment skills development programmes for victims of GBVF. Skills development programmes range from sewing, beadwork, (women) woodwork and plumbing,” said the premier. The mayor of eThekwini Municipality, Mxolisi Kaunda, said the city continued to strive for the full participation of women in the mainstream economy, particularly in the productive sectors of the economy. In this regard, he said the city was implementing a wide range of empowerment programmes to ensure that women play a meaningful role in the economy. “Since 2006, the municipality has been implementing a women empowerment programme where we invest approximately R2 million annually to support women to participate in male-dominated economic sectors. "Currently, the city has a database with over 200 women that benefit from initiatives of the municipality. Recently, two women, who are our top crafters, exhibited their products at the premier Décor, Design and Lifestyle Exhibition in Cape Town and they are now supplying established furniture retailers such as @home and Coricraft." The Inkatha Freedom Party Women’s Brigade (IFPWB) in KZN said Women’s Day was a crucial day to observe, as women in KZN were still victims of social ills such as femicide, abuse and discrimination. Speaking at the sidelines of the Women’s Day event, IFPWB provincial chairperson Ntombifuthi Gumede said women needed outlets and gatherings of this magnitude to gather and discuss ways to break free from the bondages of society. “Today [Wednesday] is the day we forget about political affiliation and stand together for the struggles of women as a whole. It is also up to us to see that whatever resolutions are taken today are not only beneficial to women from one political party, but for all,” she said. She added that women needed to be empowered to be self-reliant and independent, “so that in times of abuse they will be empowered to leave without the fear that they will go hungry or[their] children will suffer”. The Democratic Alliances Women’s Network (Dawn) KZN chairperson, Remona McKenzie said there was a lot that still needed to be done in empowering women, especially in fields of agriculture. "We have put together an executive group that involves Social Development and Community Safety to ensure that we have all the required assistance in pushing for the safety of women in our province." The Women’s Day event was also attended by Zulu maidens, the youth and the elderly alike. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.citizen.co.za/witness/news/focus-on-empowering-women/

Lebo Mosola-Mnjama | 9 August 2023 We hear the phrase ‘women in tech,’ quite often in the working world, yet not all women in tech appreciate this phrase. Many feel it is yet another label that entrenches the gap between men and women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) industries. Despite this sentiment, the statistics regarding women in such industries, particularly in relation to senior and leadership positions, indicate that there is still much work to be done to achieve equality and diversity in traditionally male-dominated spheres. According to the Women in Tech ZA report released in August 2022, only 23% of the tech jobs in our country are held by women. This means that out of the 236 000 technology jobs in South Africa, only 56 000 are not held by men. The question we need to ask ourselves is “why?”. With influential initiatives like GirlCode and Women In Tech ZA and various groups targeted at women in this industry on LinkedIn – why is there still such a large gap? Diversity and inclusivity is essential, not optional I believe we have to start by examining the importance of gender diversity, and considering why it is so important for women to ‘have a seat at the table’. Personally, I feel the answer is straightforward. Diversity and inclusivity in the workplace should be a top priority; something we’re constantly striving toward because we want to align our workplaces with an accurate visual representation of our country. Inclusivity starts at an education level How do we achieve this? We’d have to start at the beginning – primary school education. According to the Mail & Guardian, only 38% of ICT graduates are women and despite the fact that this is 8% higher than the global average, it’s clear that we can and should be aiming higher. There is still much growth and development needed to eliminate gender disparity in this industry. Having said that, I do believe that interest in ICT-based careers is steadily climbing for female students, which is visible through the growth of tech grad programmes. With initiatives such asAfrican Girls Can Code Initiative (AGCCI) we’re definitely headed in the right direction. The AGCCI recently enrolled 40 girls from public schools into their programme, which focuses on inspiring and empowering young girls to code and introduces them to the likes of robotics, and skills in other emerging technologies. Equal opportunity in new technologies There is a significant lack of skills in industries related to the 4IR, which is booming. As businesses seek to establish sustainable ways to digitise and become more competitive, developing a human capital pipeline for today and the future is critical. However, aggressive campaigns to recruit, hire, retain, and promote female talent is not going to work. We can’t find what does not yet exist. More companies need to commit to and invest in learnerships, bursaries, skills development programmes and internships aimed squarely at women in order to adequately diversify their workplace with female talent that is adequately equipped with the technical and soft skills required to perform alongside their male counterparts. Not only is this good for business, improving productivity and innovation that in turn has a positive knock-on effect on their bottom line, but in doing so businesses can also benefit from several incentives such as the Sector Education and Training Authority grants and skills funding, tax rebates, as well as advancements in their Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment scorecards. The power of positive role models One thing that Dariel Software has done well in recent years is to understand the power of mentorship and its impact on younger generations of women. Powerful, positive role models are instrumental in breaking the stereotype that subjects like computer science, coding and robotics are the exclusive domain of male learners. We need to challenge misconceptions about the abilities of women in these fields. We need to shift the workplace topography without making IT something that is forced on girls at a school level, but rather one that organically creates an interest within them. We can do this through the power of positive role models and mentorship. Diversity, inspiration and innovation This is particularly important, as once we have brilliant women, the conversation shifts then to how we retain this talent and develop it further so that it may inspire others. Every organisation has a duty to examine how they can upskill women in the workplace and elevate them to management level, opening the boardroom doors so that women may take seats at tables that have long been denied to them. The tech industry has much to gain from gender diversity, from the top down. Studies have shown that teams with more diverse perspectives are more likely to make better decisions and to be more innovative. This is because they are better able to consider all sides of an issue and to come up with solutions that are focused on broader social impact, and not just generating economic value. Additionally, women-led companies are likely to generate more growth than those led by their male counterparts. Inclusion is an ongoing dialogue With this in mind, we need to keep having these discussions around women in tech. We need to keep asking how we upskill women in the workplace and get them to levels of management that empower them to make a meaningful contribution once they have that elusive “seat at the table.” We need to keep seeking ways to bridge gaps and break barriers. Consistent, meaningful effort Although these issues currently raise more questions than we have answers for, it is heartening to know that there are many companies like Dariel, determined to level the playing field through consistent effort and a deep commitment to actively supporting the entry of more women into the industry, and to making a meaningful contribution to their ongoing career development for the betterment of the industry as a whole. In making an active contribution all year round, we truly can use the occasion of Women’s Day to salute our female pioneers and to acknowledge the vital role each and every one of them plays in the workplace, instead of paying lip service on a hollow public holiday. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.africa.com/overcoming-gender-barriers-why-consistent-support-for-women-in-tech-beyond-womens-month-is-the-answer/

SA News | 8 August 2023 Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, has encouraged young people to explore career opportunities in the oceans economy. “Given this enormous diversity available through the oceans economy, there are several value chains from which women can leverage opportunities for jobs, develop entrepreneurships, and build their businesses,” Dlamini Zuma said on Monday in Cape Town. South Africa has a coastline that spans about 2 800 kilometers from Namibia to Mozambique. Addressing young women who had an opportunity to visit the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Military Naval Base in Simon’s Town, the Minister emphasised that the ocean resource presents various opportunities, which can be commodified for economic development. In an effort to demonstrate the opportunities for women in the sector, learners from various schools toured a shipyard at the Military Naval Base as part of Women’s Month activities that showcased the role of women in the maritime sector. The tour was followed by presentations from officials from who work in maritime security, hydrography, as well submarines. This exercise provided an in-depth understanding of the oceans economy. “Boat builders are required to construct small and large vessels once these vessels are designed by engineers. Maintenance technicians across various disciplines such as mechanical, electrical and others are required to ensure the ships and their equipment run optimally. Marine biologists are required to point out where the best fishing spots are. The fishing nets used by the trawlers need to be made,” Dlamini Zuma said. She said that all young people, particularly women, should grow up with a firm understanding of three primary sub-sectors, namely, shipping and transport, marine resources and marine tourism. “We need a skills revolution which draws from Operation Phakisa to cover all the primary, secondary and tertiary economic activities within the Oceans Economy. We also need a curriculum trains them in the value chain of the four secondary industry sub-sectors,” the Minister said. These include operational support services, which comprise shipping logistics and marine technologies; manufacturing and construction (including civil engineering, marine manufacturing, ship repair and maintenance), as well as business services, which incorporates maritime specialised professionals within the banking, legal, insurance, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and the consulting domain. Operation Phakisa focuses on unlocking the economic potential of South Africa's oceans, which could contribute up to R177 billion to the GDP by 2033 and between 800 000 and one million direct jobs. “As a department, we have adopted an all-of-society approach to livelihoods restoration and wealth creation toward empowering women, youth and persons with disabilities. This involves a partnership with the SANDF to establish a National Service where young people will be trained across various disciplines, including the oceans economy. “Let us make the call to the country to join us in supporting and implementing meaningful programmes, plans, policies, strategies and interventions geared towards unlocking barriers of entry for young girls and women, and the largely unemployed population,” the Minister said. This year’s Women’s Month is celebrated under the theme, 'Accelerating Socio-Economic Opportunities for Women’s Empowerment'. The theme highlights the need to ensure that all women have access to participate equally in all areas of human endeavor. Oppression of women Despite various strides which have been achieved toward improving the status of women in society, Dlamini Zuma said the systemic oppression of women over time has left almost indelible marks that need redress. “In the South African context, women in rural areas and the townships bear the most burden of generational systemic oppression. It is tragic that on the triple challenges of poverty, inequality and unemployment plaguing our country, women are the most affected. “Violence in this country is gendered, with statistics from the South African Police Service indicating that about nine women are murdered daily, with countless others being sexually violated, abused and subjected to all manner of atrocities. “Women continue to be paid far less than men for work of equal value. Women face food insecurity yet the majority of farm workers in Africa are women who do not own the land they labour and eat the crumbs that fall from the tables of those who own the means of production,” Dlamini Zuma said. She noted that the World Bank’s 2023 report on 'Women, Business and the Law' reiterates that empowering women is a prerequisite for economic development. “It is equally important to prioritise empowering the girl-child, particularly as today’s girls are tomorrow’s women. The success of any meaningful attempt to grow South Africa together hinges on ensuring that women, particularly those who have been systematically oppressed, are able to participate equally in all areas of human endeavor, specifically in the mainstream economy,” the Minister said. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.sanews.gov.za/south-africa/young-women-urged-explore-opportunities-oceans-economy

Creamer Media | 8 August 2023 South Africa’s Minister of Human Settlements, Mmamoloko Kubayi, says economic transformation has to take place in the multi-trillion rand community schemes economy, which includes sectional title complexes, homeowners’ associations, retirement housing schemes, share block companies and housing cooperatives. Speaking at the first Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS) Indaba for stakeholders in Johannesburg last week, the Minister noted the growth in community schemes and their importance in South Africa. “South Africa has an estimated 70,000 community schemes and has also seen a growth trend in gated communities. 27% of the total value of residential property in South Africa is from organised communities, which means that community schemes are a significant economic sector,” she said. “The services these schemes solicit - such as security and garden services - make the sector a huge contributor to job creation, mainly because many of the services are sourced from small and medium enterprises. We therefore need to put measures in place to ensure that a procurement approach that gives opportunities to emerging SMMEs, especially those from previously disadvantaged communities, becomes mandatory.” Managing agents should also be a focus area, she said. “An estimated R800 billion in assets is managed by community scheme managers, therefore the transformation of the managing agents in this sector remains critical. Last year in an effort to transform the managing agents industry, CSOS signed a memorandum of understanding with Pretor, MidCity and Trafalgar to collaborate on the development of emerging black managing agents so that they can also play a meaningful role in the sector. The collaboration must yield tangible results and CSOS has to ensure that these emerging black managing agents are integrated into the sector,” the Minister said. Minister Kubayi added: “Transparency is important, so it is expected that part of community schemes’ responsibility is to be able to be transparent in the manner that we do things, but also understand consciously that we have a role to play to ensure that the economic participation is broadly opened for all to participate.” Noting that people from all cultures live in community schemes, the Minister also urged stakeholders to embrace diversity within schemes. “Community schemes are growing at a rapid rate because of the growth of the middle class, migration and rapid urbanisation. As people flock to urban centres in search of economic opportunities, there is an urgent need for spaces to live in. The scarcity of land in urban centres, security concerns and the convenience of community schemes have made them an attractive option for many middle class people,” she said. “Implicit in this development is the fact that community schemes are occupied by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. Instead of enriching the living experience, cultural diversity has unfortunately become a major source of disputes within the schemes. Issues and conflict will be greatly reduced if people learn and accept that living together means embracing diversity and not forcing people to adopt their preferred way of living. Embracing cultural and religious diversity has to be made a necessary element of the good governance of community schemes,” she said. The Minister also committed to improving services, transparency and turnaround times at the CSOS. The two-day CSOS Indaba was the first event of its kind, and was convened to educate stakeholders on community scheme governance, administration and management, as well as to outline common challenges and solutions, and best practice in community scheme management. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/minister-calls-for-mandatory-procurement-transformation-in-community-schemes-2023-08-08

ABC Traders decides to use a third-party facilitator to distribute Enterprise Development funds to Beneficiaries. The money to the third-party facilitator was transferred two weeks before its financial year ended in February 2023. However, the third-party facilitator only transferred the funds to the end Beneficiaries at the end of March 2023. Q | When using the services of a third-party facilitator, when does Enterprise Development spend considered a claim? Is it when the third-party facilitator receives the funds or when the end Beneficiary receives the funds? A | An Enterprise Development contribution is only considered spend when it reaches the end Beneficiary. Therefore, in this instance, where the third-party facilitator distributed the funds outside the Measurement Period, ABC Traders may only claim the amount paid out in March 2023 in the next Measurement Period. Enterprise & Supplier Development Services are available to assist Members with understanding Third Party Facilitation.

The Socio-Economic Development element requires an Independent Competent Person to present an Independent Competent Person’s Report to confirm that the requirements of an organisation’s Socio-Economic Development contributions have been met and that a claim is indeed legitimate. As per Schedule 1 a “Competent Person” means a person who has acquired through training, qualification and experience the knowledge and skills necessary for undertaking any task assigned to them under the codes.” An Independent Competent Person must have no conflict of interest when nominated to sign off on an organisation’s Socio-Economic Development initiative. Such a person must have sufficient training and experience or knowledge, as well as other qualities that allow them to assist an organisation in the capacity of an Independent Competent Person. The competence level depends on the initiative's complexity and the requirements of a particular assessment. An Independent Competent Person must have a duty of care to an organisation’s investors. Socio-Economic Development Services are available to assist organisations that wish to confirm the competence of an Independent Competent Person.

From time to time, SANAS publishes a list of B-BBEE Rating Agencies that no longer have SANAS accreditation due to it being withdrawn voluntary or involuntary, or due to its expiry. The core aim of publishing the list is to assist those receiving B-BBEE Certificates in identifying invalid credentials. This list will further assist B-BBEE Rating Agencies when verifying the element of Enterprise and Supplier Development. It is vital to take note of the date of withdrawal or expiry as a B-BBEE Certificate will remain valid for 12 Months if issued before the date that a B-BBEE Rating Agency lost its accreditation. B-BBEE Certificates issued by SANAS Accredited B-BBEE Rating Agencies must contain the unique SANAS Accreditation Symbol to ensure that the B-BBEE Verification Certificate is valid. B-BBEE Verification Services are available to assist members to ensure that they understand the requirements for Valid B-BBEE Verification Certificates.

Ntando Thukwana | 7 August 2023 Employee share ownership trust now owns a tenth of the company. SE-listed cement group PPC has established a new employee trust that has purchased 10% of the company’s share capital and will benefit the group’s subsidiaries operating in South Africa. PPC, with a market cap of around R4.1 billion, said on Monday the newly set up PPC Employee Share Ownership Trust which benefits more than 1 500 employees, will be funded by way of a PPC loan to the tune of R380 million. The group confirmed that it is also spending an additional R975 000 to cover security transfer costs as part of the transaction. While the trust’s objectives are to reward PPC employees for the duration of their employment and replace the company’s previous unwound equity ownership schemes, the programme will be weighted in favour of historically disadvantaged individuals in line with Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policies. The transaction effectively notches up PPC’s B-BBEE status, improving the company’s rating to level 1. Speaking on the deal, PPC group CEO Roland van Wijnen said the transaction provides a meaningful way of rewarding its employees in South Africa who do not participate in PPC’s long-term incentive plan. “PPC has been built upon the shoulders of its employees… We are pleased that the terms of the transaction are such that it stands to benefit employees for many years to come,” he added. As part of the terms of the transaction, the loan will be repaid from future PPC dividends to the employee trust with 75% distributed to the company. The remaining 25% of dividend payouts will be distributed to all qualifying beneficiaries of the trust. “For the foreseeable future, until the loan, including capitalised interest, has been fully repaid, qualifying employees will effectively receive 2.5% of any dividends declared by PPC SA Holdings. Following the repayment of the loan in full, qualifying employees will receive 10% of the dividends declared by PPC SA Holdings,” the group noted. PPC said the transaction, which is not subject to any conditions, closed on 4 August. It added that the gross debt of the consolidated South African operations will not be affected by the transaction. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.moneyweb.co.za/news/companies-and-deals/ppc-in-r380m-empowerment-deal/

Koketso Ratsatsi | 6 August 2023 CHIETA to open third skills centre in northern KZN. The Chemical Industries Education & Training Authority (CHIETA) is on the verge of opening the third SMART Skills Centre in KwaZulu-Natal in a move to bridge the digital divide between rural and urban areas. The minister of higher education, science and innovation Blade Nzimande’s vision to equip the youth in villages in becoming digital savvy saw two of the centres being built in Saldanha Bay, Western Cape, and Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. The third one will soon be opening its doors in September in Babanango, a small town near Melmoth in northern KwaZulu-Natal. “Access to digital technology in rural SA has been a topic of concern and effort in recent years. Whilst some gains have been made to bridge the digital divide, there is still a great deal of work to be done as research has revealed that access to the internet in rural communities is a very low 1%,” said CHIETA chief executive Yershen Pillay. “Our plan is to establish a SMART Skills Centre in all nine provinces and the CHIETA team is working steadily on this flagship project to usher in a new era of skills development and training. The strategic location of the SMART Skills Centres makes them accessible to remote communities that will ultimately benefit from the digitised training programmes for rural masses and ease the cost burden of transport and data for poor learners,” he said. Pillay said that young people in remote areas are at a disadvantage of not gaining any skills and knowledge in the 4IR world, which are essential for future careers. “With rural communities unable to function in a Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) world, the impact will be felt with job losses and increased unemployment due to a deficiency of the necessary and potential technical skills.” “This statistic affirms the extent to which young people living in rural reaches of the country are at a disadvantage in terms of gaining skills and knowledge that are critical to future careers across a broad range of sectors and the chemical industries sector is no exception,” Pillay said. CHIETA hopes this initiative will contribute towards advancing rural communities’ employability within various economic sectors, as it will enable skills development in line with the demands of emerging technologies and the 4IR. More recently, CHIETA signed a memorandum of understanding with the South African Forest Company Limited (Safcol) that will result in the construction of the first-ever eco-friendly SMART Skills Centre made entirely from timber. The centre will be situated in the Sabie area in Mpumalanga. “Whilst our determined and steadfast approach to making the SMART Skills Centres a reality has been a key success factor, it is important that we recognise the important role played by the numerous partners that have worked closely with us in the successful establishment of the centres to date. “This serves to highlight the important role of partnerships in addressing the skills development challenges in the country. And we are only just getting going,” said Pillay. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/south-africa/2023-08-06-training-authority-surges-ahead-with-mission-to-help-rural-youth-become-digitally-savvy/

Edward West | 7 August 2023 The Competition Commission said Friday it has recommended to the Competition Tribunal that the proposed acquisition by Petrefuel of Royale Energy be approved, with conditions. Petrefuel Holdings (formerly known as Petre Moya Holdings) is controlled by Petredec South Africa Holdings. In South Africa, Petredec Group is a non-refining wholesaler and distributor of refined fuel products namely petrol, diesel, lubricants, illuminating paraffin, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). It also has petrol and diesel storage facilities. Royale Energy is controlled by Royale Energy Group, a non-refining wholesaler and marketer of refined fuel products (petrol, diesel, illuminating paraffin, lubricants, and LPG) in South Africa. Royal Energy also operates small petrol and diesel storage facilities. To address employment concerns, the companies agreed not to retrench any South African employees as a result of the merger, for three years. To promote a greater spread of ownership, the parties said they would establish an employee share ownership programme for qualifying employees. The companies would also assist independent historically disadvantaged persons who were owner drivers, and who meet certain qualification criteria to purchase fuel tanker vehicles as part of an enterprise and supplier development initiative. The merging parties also undertook to establish an education fund, in accordance with specific design principles, for the benefit of qualifying workers. The Commission said the proposed transaction was unlikely to result in a substantial prevention or lessening of competition in any relevant markets, and there were no other public interest concerns. ‘Disclaimer - The views expressed here are not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’. https://www.iol.co.za/business-report/companies/petrefuel-acquisition-of-royale-energy-approved-with-conditions-ee05a68f-123d-4d8c-82c6-bce4386897a4