The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has updated its BEE database, which gives information on black economic empowered (BEE) companies in the information and communications technology and electronics (ICTE) sector, to include 850 companies.
The database is a partnership between the DTI, SA Electro-technical Export Council, the Electronics Industry Federation, the IT Association, and Information Industry SA. It was compiled by consulting and research house, Forge Ahead. The database was launched in June last year and initially listed 250 BEE companies.
Jane Mosebi, Forge Ahead MD, says the database includes companies based solely on ownership, categorising companies as either black owned (over 50%), black empowered (25% to 49%) or black influenced (5% to 24%). The updated database has shown that 58% of the 850 companies are wholly black owned.
Mosebi says the database also includes information on key people within companies, staff complement, annual turnover, export capabilities, products and services, business focus and key client information.
"The second phase of the project has shown that 70% of the companies on the database have their head offices in the Johannesburg area, while 12% are based in Cape Town. It has also revealed that IT products and services constitute the biggest portion of service offerings among the companies at 62%, while very few companies are positioned to import or export goods and services," she says.
Mosebi says BEE companies constitute 10% or less of the 8 000 companies in the ICTE sector. Around 4 000 black people work in the sector, according to the database.
Sar'e Grobler, a project manager at Trade Investment SA, says the second phase of the project cost around R350 000.
"With 40% of the 250 companies listed in phase one no longer existing for financial reasons or because of restructuring, government may in future look to give financial aid to BEE companies to help them establish themselves," she says.
Forge Ahead will verify company information until August, after which the DTI will launch the third phase of the project, Grobler says. This could include an accreditation system and may assist the ICT BEE council, which has yet to be formed, in the classification of BEE companies.
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