South Africa’s information, communication and technology (ICT) and electronics sector could get their own black economic empowerment (BEE) charter before the end of this year if discussion proposals go according to plan.
This follows the launch on Wednesday of proposals by various organisations and associations working within the ICT and electronics sector, which formed a working group to formulate proposals to be presented to the government before the end of this year.
The group, known as the ICT Empowerment Charter Working Group, aims to draft its own BEE charter, but one which is similar to the South African mining industry charter.
Electronics Industries Federation (EIC) representative in the working group, Dali Mpofu, said the aim of the group was to make sure that everybody in the sector made an input into the proposals for BEE.
Mpofu added that the unlike the mining sector charter, which was initiated by the government and resulted in some confusion, the proposed charter should be industry driven.
“It is important that everybody in this sector gets involved in the process of formulating the BEE charter from labour, communities and different stakeholders,” he said.
Organisations involved in providing input for the proposal of the BEE charter included the Black Information Technology Forum, the Electronics Industries Federation, the Computer Society of South Africa, the Information Technology Association, and the South African Chamber of Business (Sacob).
Mpofu did, however, say that the working group recognised the important role that government needed to play in defining the charter for the ICT industry.
“We have extended time to make this process inclusive and in the next three months before our big indaba in September we will be welcoming everybody to make their input to the charter.”
The ICT Empowerment Charter Working Group has drawn up an ongoing framework for the discussion and the development of the document aimed at providing a final draft for use at a two-day indaba to be held September 16 and 17.
Mpofu said the purpose was to invite as wide as possible a group to participate in the charter document. The document is planned to be made available in final form by the end of this year for submission to the government.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the key element of success for the sector would be the harnessing of the skills of all South Africans, adding that it encouraged all initiatives which supported BEE.
Trade Investment South Africa spokesperson Sare Grobler said: “We are actively involved in promoting BEE, having recently launched the first phase of the database of BEE companies in the ICT and Electronics sector.”
She said the BEE company database, freely available on the DTI website, has been met with warm welcome from the ICT community both locally and internationally.
Mpofu added that it was important that the BEE charter in the ICT included ownership and control definitions.
He said skills development and job creation would be key issues in discussion proposals.
At present the DTI was working with the ICT and Electronics sector through the ICT development council chaired by Trade and Industry Minister Alec Erwin. – I-Net Bridge