Black Pages – SA’s Directory of 100 Black-Owned Businesses

South Africa’s directory of 100 percent black-owned businesses, Black Pages, was unveiled by businessman Cyril Ramaphosa. Black Pages is an initiative undertaken by Shanduka Black Umbrellas, the successful incubation and mentoring initiative for black owned SMMEs. The inaugural issue of Black Pages showcases more than 1 000 black owned businesses from all nine provinces and aims to become the procurement practioner’s definitive directory for sourcing 100 percent black owned enterprises.

Says Ramaphosa, executive chairman of the Shanduka Group: “The publication of Black Pages is part of the realisation of my lifelong dream of developing black businesses. We believe that Black Pages will help grow small businesses and in turn stimulate the economy as well as assist big businesses with their procurement process. While this initiative is a specific intervention for SMMEs, it will ultimately create jobs as the SMMEs become more successful and employ more people. It is my hope that Black Pages will play a part in addressing South Africa’s high rate of unemployment.”Black Pages features all the SMMEs that are part of the Shanduka Black Umbrellas programme in Gauteng and the Western Cape which have undergone a rigorous assessment process prior to inclusion in the programme.

It also carries other black owned businesses from around the country; however these have not been appraised other than confirming the ownership and contact details thereof. One of the key intentions of the Department of Trade and Industry’s Codes of Good Practice is to promote the use of black owned professional service providers and entrepreneurs as suppliers. Under the Preferential Procurement pillar companies can receive 20 points for procuring from qualifying black owned SMMEs.

Most companies in South Africa are familiar with the requirements of BEE legislation. However, South African companies of all sizes are experiencing numerous challenges with achieving all the points available for both Enterprise Development and Preferential Procurement.

Yvonne Themba, chairperson of Shanduka Black Umbrellas says: “It is pleasing to present solutions for both pillars as Shanduka Black Umbrellas is the third party entity that can deliver Enterprise Development initiatives on a company’s behalf. In addition, by using businesses in Black Pages, companies can obtain the difficult 8 of the 20 points that are available by procuring from Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs) and Exempted Micro Enterprises (EMEs) that are 50 percent black owned and 30 percent black women owned.”

Fifty thousand copies of Black Pages have been printed. These will be distributed with the Finweek edition of May 13, currently on sale countrywide. Black Pages is also available on line at www.shandukablack pages.co.za.

For free inclusion of your business in Black Pages or to get a copy of Black Pages go to www.shandukablackpages.co.za or call Malope Mashifane on 011 492-0903/4.

CAPE TOWN, 7 MAY 2010