Beyond Compliance: Unlocking the Real Value of Broad-Based BEE
South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) framework is often viewed through a narrow financial lens — as a cost to business. But this perspective misses the bigger picture: B-BBEE is not just a policy; it’s a powerful enabler of inclusive growth, talent development, and long-term sustainability.
By Safiyaa Patel – Mail & Guardian
When implemented with purpose, B-BBEE unlocks access to diverse markets, stimulates entrepreneurship, and builds resilient supply chains. It drives real transformation by including black South Africans in ownership, management, and economic participation — and in doing so, helps businesses futureproof themselves in a changing socio-political landscape.
The real question is not whether B-BBEE is worth the cost, but whether businesses can afford to ignore the benefits.
It’s time to move beyond the balance sheet — and towards a model of empowerment that is not only just, but also smart business.
