A QSE that is a larger organisation with a formal management structure will have various top management positions available. In this scenario, succession planning is paramount to successful BEE implementation. Succession planning involves considering age, skills requirements and the interests of the employees. Read the rest of this entry »
Depending on the size of a business, the management control provision presents an interesting challenge in the QSE environment. Many QSEs have a single owner who retains sole management control over the entity. The size of the business does not warrant a second top manager. In practical terms, the business also does not have the cash flow to employ a Black person of the calibre comparable to corporate business. Read the rest of this entry »
| Management control criteria | Weighting points | Compliance target |
| Black representation at top management level | 25 | 50,1% top manager representation |
| Bonus points: Black women representation at top management level | 2 | 25% |
To understand the management control scorecard, the definition of top management needs deciphering. Although the Codes do not define the term, they do define “top manager” so one can assume that a top manager represents top management. A top manager is: Read the rest of this entry »
| Management control criteria | Weighting points | Compliance target |
| Black representation at top management level | 25 | 50,1% top manager representation |
| Bonus points: Black women representation at top management level | 2 | 25% |
To understand the management control scorecard, the definition of top management needs deciphering. Although the Codes do not define the term, they do define “top manager” so one can assume that a top manager represents top management. A top manager is: Read the rest of this entry »
Developing Black intellectual capacity may appear to be irrelevant to QSE business. It is not as if most professional services firms such as accountants, attorneys, engineers and doctors fall into the QSE category. These professional services are at the heart of developing the country’s intellectual capacity. This section is critical to these professions.
There is little confidence in Black people by both Black and white people. It is that simple. The previous education system did not provide Black people with an equivalent education to white people. When a Black person enters the market an assumption is made that he or she does not have the same “mental prowess” as a white person. The result is an inherent lack of confidence in Black people.
Who have the least confidence in Black people? Strangely enough, Black people do. One seldom hears of Black people consulting Black attorneys on mergers and acquisitions. They go to white attorneys because they do not have confidence in their Black counterparts. Read the rest of this entry »
Job hopping by Black people is increasingly being seen as a problem. Businesses train Black people into positions only to find that they leave the position for a new company. Understanding the reason for job hopping becomes a staff retention strategy to prevent this practice.
The primary reason driving job hopping is culture. Some company cultures do not accept Black people’s cultures and backgrounds, resulting in their being forced to assimilate Western business culture to gain access to the mainstream economy. This can be uncomfortable for a Black person. Read the rest of this entry »
Two bonus points are available in employment equity. The bonus points are based on what the Codes term EAR EAP stands for “economically active population“. The Codes do not provide a clear explanation on how the bonus points are to be calculated. What follows is my interpretation on how to calculate bonus points. The two points are allocated to each indicator based on the indicator’s percentage of total points available. If the management indicator meets its EAP target, the bonus points would be 2s x 2 points. If the employee indicator reaches its EAP target, then the bonus points would be 12-(52. x 2 points. Read the rest of this entry »
The employment equity scorecard splits the compliance targets between 0 to 5 years and 6 to 10 years. The Codes acknowledge that transformation is not going to be an overnight phenomenon and that businesses will take a while to establish Black people in relevant employment positions. They have provided moderate targets for the first five years in consideration of this. Overnight transformation strategies are unlikely to result in sustainable development.
The majority of points, 15, are allocated to this indicator. The management indicator is subject to the gender adjustor and full points will only be scored where 50% of the management targets for Black people are held by Black women. The targets are split. The target for 0 to 5 years is 40% of total management and the target for 6 to 10 years is 60% of total management positions that should be held by Black people. Read the rest of this entry »
This represents the amount of remuneration after deducting the following:
Medical aid scheme contributions in the case of persons aged 65 or older. Read the rest of this entry »
| Skills development element | Weighting points | Compliance target |
| Adjusted skills development spend on learning programmes for Black employees as a percentage of the leviable amount | 25 | 2% |
The QSE skills development scorecard only contains one indicator. It is significantly simpler than skills development of non-QSE businesses and easier to obtain a higher score. Unfortunately, because the target is based on terms and calculations used in the Skills Development Levies Act, the SDLA, this is a technical section.
The leviable amount is derived from the SDLA. It the amount that the levy that must be paid to the SETA is calculated on. BEE uses the same calculation and therefore terminology, but sets a target over and above that payable to the SETA. The scorecard sets the target for the indicator as 2% of the leviable amount for QSEs. Essentially, the leviable amount is the annual total net salaries and wages payable by the entity. Read the rest of this entry »
The indicator specifies skills development spent on learning programmes. What constitutes a learning programme? If the money is not spent on a learning programme as defined, the measured entity may not include the expense in measuring skills development contributions. Statement 401 defines a learning programme as, “any of the learning programme types described in the Learning Programme Matrix“.
The Learning Programme Matrix is provided as Annexure 400A of Statement 400. It provides a broad spectrum of training that it considers a learning programme. Any of the following may be included as measurable for QSE contributions to skills development: Read the rest of this entry »
Having established how much the business needs to spend, the next step is to consider what to spend the money on so it will count as contributions to transformation. This section provides guidance on what the company may and may not include as skills development spend. The term “skills development spend” is defined, meaning that unless the spend meets the definition, it will not be included in the measurement. Read the rest of this entry »
The calculations of skills development spend includes expenditure on learning programmes and in-service training programmes. The following calculation assumes the indicator is subject to adjusted recognition for gender.
The calculation of the adjusted recognition for gender is as follows:
A = B/C + C
A = the adjusted recognition for gender
B = the skills development spend on Black employees divided by the leviable amount
C = the skills development spend on Black women employees divided by the leviable amount Read the rest of this entry »
The skills development levy was designed to force entities to invest in skills development by paying money to a SETA. This money is recoverable from that SETA when the company invests in skills development. A large majority interpreted the skills development levy as a pure tax, paid the money to the SETA and never reclaimed it. This approach results in zero return and becomes, as mentioned, a straight tax.
The objective of BEE is to stimulate growth, not to invoke taxes. If the skills development initiative is not going to result in a return for the business then it is likely to result in unsubstantial skills training. If it is unsubstantial, then the trainee is not going to be any closer to participating in the mainstream economy and the exercise lacks substance. Strictly speaking, BEE contributions that lack substance are not measurable.
An investment implies that the employee will return from training with the ability to make more money for the company than prior to the training. Whether that training entails operating a computer programme more efficiently or part-time study for a university degree is particular to each business. But it must result in a return for the company greater than the initial investment. Read the rest of this entry »
The trickle-down effect of preferential procurement is the only reason that private companies not dealing directly with public entities or organs of state have a reason to contribute to broad-based BEE. To qualify as a supplier to upstream customers, a business requires a high BEE status and, more specifically, a favourable BEE procurement recognition level.
Preferential procurement turns BEE into a competitive policy. Suppliers will be assessed on their BEE procurement recognition level in conjunction with standard drivers such as cost, quality and service. The more a business contributes to BEE, the greater it will be rewarded through customers wishing to buy from them to leverage off the business’s high BEE score. Read the rest of this entry »
Section 6 of Statement 500 excludes the following items from procurement in the calculation of the total measured procurement spend:
Schedule 1 entities include constitutional entities such as the Public Protector, the Human Sciences Research Council, national government, provincial and local government. The intention is not to require Schedule 1 entities to obtain BEE verification. However, Schedule 2 and 3 entities will require BEE verification. Read the rest of this entry »
The procurement recognition level refers to each supplier’s BEE procurement recognition level as determined by that supplier’s BEE status level. The table below is sourced from Statement 000. Suppliers should be able to provide the purchasing business with a BEE certificate from a verification agent. The certificate will contain the BEE status level and probably the BEE procurement recognition level. Read the rest of this entry »
