We have worked with enough businesses to know that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to achieving Black Economic Empowerment compliance. That’s why we partner with you to understand your business’ challenges and opportunities, as well as your position in the market.
Often referred to as ‘The Green Team’, we are committed to our own sustainable empowerment and try to reduce our footprint, wherever possible, through reduced or shared travelling, planting trees, adopting solar energy or including an environment clause in all our mandates.
Our Services
- BBBEE Strategy Consulting
- Sustainable Development Consulting
- Management Consulting
- General Advisory Consulting
Case Studies
- Broad Based Ownership scheme regulatory engagement
- ICT Company R700m Equity Equivalents programme
- Beverage FMCG – Level 7 to Level 3 in 3 years
BLC was mandated by one of the SA’s largest investment companies whose primarily focus is on empowering women. The mandate was to assist with communication received from the BEE Commissioner regarding the proposed amendments to their Trust Deeds, to ensure that it complies with the Annexure 100 (B) of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice.
BLC went through a process of ensuring that the Trust Deeds were amended to comply with spirit and intent of the requirements of Annexure 100 (B) of the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice. BLC engaged with the Trustees to seek approval and provide insights and clarity to the amendment of the Trust deeds. The client said: “Black Lite’s relationships with our Trustees also proved to be a significant competitive advantage to obtaining the required approvals in rather tight timeframes.” There were multiple engagements that took place with the DTI policy unit and the verification agency to obtain their advice on possible amendments and their informal approval of the amended Trust Deed. BLC then engaged with the BEE Commissioner on behalf of the entity to obtain approval of the amended Trust deed and obtain solutions to ensure that the Trust deed was fully compliant.
“The Black Lite team are patient and experienced professionals who have deep relationships with policy makers and are able to provide useful insights and customised solutions around BEE Ownership compliance for their clients.”
BLC was part of one of the biggest Equity Equivalents investment programme (EEIP) deals to take place in the ICT sector, the investment value is worth R700 million over a 10-year period. The EEIP is focused on boosting skills development and education in the fields of science and technology in South Africa, establishing a research hub and ensure sustainable enterprise development for black owned and black women owned beneficiaries.
BLC’s role within this project was to assist with the following aspects associated with the EEIP:
- Assist with the exemption application;
- Develop business case for internal approval;
- Review valuation;
- Facilitate line Ministry approval;
- Engage with the EEIP team at the DTI;
- Draft the business plan;
- Develop the financial model
- Assist with the KPI development & risk mitigation models; and
- Obtain final approval of the business plan from the board.
An executive director said the following: “Ajay and his team were instrumental in executing our EEIP application through innovative thinking that integrated our initial disjoined initiatives into coherent and strategic plan that was accepted by the line Ministry (then DOC), the Corporation and the Department of Trade and Industry (“dti”) in record time.
BLC was an integral part of the EEIP process as we provided insights and brought relationships to the client that would add value, it was seen to be invaluable and resulted in a successful EEIP application.
“Black Lite responded to our needs as an organisation and worked under great pressure while still producing world class outputs.”
Black Lite Consulting (“BLC”) embarked on a transformation journey with one of the largest beverage companies in the world with substantial operations in South Africa. Their objective is to empower people and to build a better South Africa. BLC was enlisted in 2016, to develop a BBBEE Strategy to help this well known FMCG company in approving their BEE level.
BLC worked with the relevant stream leads and together, they developed a B-BBEE strategy. Which required approval from the Management Committee which was achieved. The BEE strategy had a few key focus areas such as skills development and procurement. The skills development strategy was developed to ensure maximum points were achieved while minimising cash expenditure. Procurement strategy was developed after the procurement team and BLC went through a strategic sourcing working session, which assisted in identifying possible opportunities to shift billions of rand of procurement spend to black owned and black women owned suppliers including EMEs and QSEs. As a result of the procurement working session BLC helped the team make an 81% contract savings on a single multi-million rand contract, by shifting their spend to a fully transformed supplier.
Overall the BEE strategy has provided benefit to our client who have improved their BEE level status from a Level 7 to a Level 3 within three years by implementing our strategic advice. Throughout this process of assisting in developing the BEE strategy, BLC provided advice and technical opinions for many other aspects that affected B-BBEE and their future plans around it. Such aspects include, writing technical opinions, including complex sale & lease back structure and being a strategic BEE advisor on a R1.5 billion black industrialists deal.
BLC is a strategic BBBEE trusted advisor to this global FMCG company and we pride ourselves on ensuring that they achieved their BBBEE strategy ahead of their approved plan. The client had the following to say about us:
“They are knowledgeable on the subject matter, accessible, reliable and more importantly have been very useful in providing advice that is appropriate and timely to assist us in developing our future plans for B-BBEE.”
What Clients Have To Say
Their insight into Equity Equivalents process and procedures have added great value to our application and business plan. We would highly recommend the team at Black Lite Consulting for any BBBEE advice and in particular Equity Equivalents.
A key component of their assistance relates to Black Industrialisation. We have no hesitation to recommend them as experts in Black Industrialisation too.
Hlubi Shivanda
Director: Business Innovation Group & Corporate Affairs, SAMSUNG Electronics South Africa.
Hlubi Shivanda
Director: Business Innovation Group & Corporate Affairs, SAMSUNG Electronics South Africa.
I can proudly confirm that they clearly have their finger on the pulse of the BEE beat. We found their advice sage, practical and appropriate given our unique and specific circumstances.
Their insights based on relationships of trust, clearly built up over a number of years, with such regulators was extremely useful in guiding our engagements. They are indeed trusted advisors and our thinking partners not only to their clients but also the regulators.
As part of a multinational corporation, it is rare to find a Black Owned company that responds in tight timeframes, in a professional and practical manner which is such breath of fresh air.
If you are looking for a trusted advisor in B-BBEE in general, fronting risk mitigation as well as Broad Based scheme alignment, look no further than Black Lite Consulting.
JT Ndlovu
CFO: BP Southern Africa Proprietary Limited
JT Ndlovu
CFO: BP Southern Africa Proprietary Limited
This strategy was developed under very tight timeframes and the team exceeded our expectations, in terms of delivering quality work that was presented to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. The strategy was approved by our Board on the basis that it had optimised our BBBEE investment by taking into consideration the tough economic climate that South Africa is operating in currently.
Ajay has provided us with unique insights into the thinking at the Department of Trade and Industry and the advice that they dispense is in line with spirit and objectives of the Revised Codes of Good Practice. they are at the forefront of developments and are industry leaders in BBBEE Consulting.
Gaopaleloe Mothoagae
HOD: Tranformation & Sustainability, Coca Cola Beverages South Africa
Gaopaleloe Mothoagae
HOD: Tranformation & Sustainability, Coca Cola Beverages South Africa