Bytes Document Solutions has undergone an EmpowerDEX BEE evaluation and been awarded an A rating for outstanding compliance to the requirements set out in the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003.
The evaluation involved scoring the company`s performance in terms of seven identified empowerment factors: ownership, management, employment equity, skills development, procurement, corporate social responsibility and enterprise development.
"The assessment of Bytes Document Solutions` BEE status revealed that it is a good broad-based contributor to economic empowerment, with unconstrained operational capacity," says Chia-Chao Wu, executive director at EmpowerDEX, the economic empowerment rating agency.
In partnership with black-led development organisation, Kagiso Trust Investments, Bytes Document Solutions (BDS) has an effective BEE ownership of 29.83%; legal BEE ownership of 27%; and weighted BEE control of 21.43%.
Its board of directors has a 27% black to 73% white executive management breakdown, with black non-executive directors including Dali Mpofu, Roger Jardine and Afsal Patel; and a black alternate director, Sanjay Bhikha. Of its total staff members employed, 25% of management and 67% of non-management are black.
"BEE compliance is an important accomplishment for the company as it enables us to empower our people, suppliers and customers, and is a clear indicator of our commitment and dedication to the future well-being of our country," says Rob Abraham, MD of BDS. In terms of skills development, BDS spent more than R2.5 million on training initiatives during the last financial year, ending 29 February 2004.
Managing its own internal training department to the tune of R1.4 million, it has also spent more than R600 000 on external training. Internal initiatives that have been implemented include helping employees that are not high income earners pay for their children`s school fees, and providing financial assistance to staff wanting to further their education in fields of study related to their jobs.
"We spent in excess of R83 million with our affirmative suppliers during the 2003/2004 financial year," Abraham says. "This represented 38.5% of our eligible procurement budget for that year, and 7.9% of the total purchases for the period."
The company fulfilled social investment and upliftment requirements with projects at two schools in Tembisa and a school in Orange Farm. The Nyiko Primary School and Tembisa High School projects involved:
* Electrification and renovation;
* The building of ablution facilities;
* The installation of box libraries in all the classrooms;
* Outfitting the laboratories with appropriate equipment;
* The paving of pathways;
* The building of a soccer field and tennis courts;
* Upgrading the skills of the teachers; and
* Training teachers at the primary school how to use computers.
The Orange Farm project involved the implementation of a multimedia centre containing 38 computers in a networked configuration at Isikhumuso Secondary School. BDS also provided software and printing equipment, and outfitted the centre with chairs, carpeting, security systems and a UPS.
"In meeting enterprise development requirements, we have encouraged and supported the creation of small, micro and medium businesses by staff members in which we have recognised the right entrepreneurial spirit and drive," Abraham concludes. "Eighteen ventures, including FJM Couriers, Bokomoso Copicentre Midrand and Izazi Printers, have grown into successful and stable businesses to which we contract our relevant business activities."
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