36 Wierda Road, Ground Floor, Block B 
36 Wierda Road West, Wierda Valley, 
Sandton, Johannesburg
2196

Tel: 011 883 8548
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Postal Address:
Postnet Suite #273
Private Bag X26
Sunninghill
2157

SANAS Accreditation BVA 030

1. What is the definition of Black Economic Empowerment?

“Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) is a program launched by the South African government to redress the inequalities of Apartheid by giving previously disadvantaged groups (black Africans,Coloureds, Indians and Chinese (declared to be Black in June 2008[1]) who are SA citizens) economic opportunities previously not available to them. It includes measures such as Employment Equity, skills development, ownership, management, socio-economic development and preferential procurement.” To read more go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Economic_Empowerment

2. How do I apply for an Empowerdex Rating?

In order to apply for an Empowerdex rating, please feel free to call your local office to get more details.

Your local Client Relations Manager will assist, and provide you with the necessary information you might require. We will want to know which bracket your organisation falls into below, in order to process or assist you with your application for a rating:

• Exempted Micro Enterprise (EME): annual turnover under R10 million per annum
• Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE): annual turnover R10 million to R50 million per annum
• Generic Enterprise: annual turnover of R50 million and above

Once we are able to determine which bracket your organisation falls into, we can send you the relevant application pack in order for you to proceed with your rating. This application pack is filled with information on the next steps and how to go about your rating with Empowerdex. Please contact your local office to proceed with your rating.

3. What does it cost to get rated?

The cost of the verification will be dependent on the complexity of the ownership structure, the number of employees, procurement budget, and number of operating entities. Please contact your local office to assist you further

4. What are the various rating scores that can be achieved and what status does this relate to (the below relates to the amended CoGP 2013)?

5. What is the rating process – how does it work?

The rating process; which is in line with methodology outlined by SANAS and the Dti. Click here to see an explanation.

6. How can I get an Engagement/Tender letter?

A Tender Letter will be issued automatically at the start of the engagement process and is valid for a 3 month period, which is the time within which the verification should be completed even if there are delays. Tender letters may, unfortunately, not be re-issued upon expiry thereof. Please contact you local office should you wish to find out more.

7. What are the different types of ratings Empowerdex offers?

Our B-BBEE services include the full range of ratings, advisory, training, assurance services and research. 

8. Is Empowerdex SANAS accredited?

Yes. SANAS

9. How do I learn more about BEE, the rating process and the Codes of Good Practice?

Empowerdex’s training programmes are designed to ensure clients are thoroughly informed of the latest BEE requirements so that companies and organisations are fully equipped to implement and manage sustainable B-BBEE strategies and practices. 

Our courses are continually updated so that companies can apply B-BBEE strategies with confidence of achieving their maximum potential ratings. 

We offer an introductory online BEE course as well as an advanced training option; the Certified Empowerment Technician (CET) course. This training workshop is suitable for industry consultants, clients handling their BEE policies, HR managers, transformation champions, CFOs, business owners and anyone who deals with BEE in some capacity within their organisation. For details on BEE training, click here.

10. I would like to use Empowerdex’s logo on my website or documents, in order to show we are Empowerdex rated – who do I contact?

Once verified, a company may only use the Empowerdex Certified Empowerment Contributor trademark logo, when referring to its verification status once it has obtained the written consent of Empowerdex.  The use of the Empowerdex logo is not permissible. Please consult our Standard Terms and Conditions of verifications, for the terms of utilising the Certified Empowerment Contributor logo.  It should be noted that use of the logo must be followed by the actual verified status achieved by the company, i.e.: ‘Empowerdex Level Four verified’ and NOT simply ‘Empowerdex verified’.  A company may not make use of the Empowerdex branding logo without permission in writing, from Empowerdex. Contact us on (011) 883 8548 for more details.

Empowerdex has other services designed to assist to drive transformation.  Please speak to us on how we can assist you with your unique circumstances.

Collation Service:

The collation service is an offering whereby a separate team would assist your company in collating the correct information required for the rating process and compiling a rating to be presented to the rating team.   

Gap Analysis:  

This will be similar to the rating process, but over and above collecting information and verifying it, an analysis of your current processes and systems will be done.  At the end the process, a report will be formulated that will include the scorecard of the company (for internal use only), a processes analysis, as well as a gap analysis showing which areas the company falls short in, and which areas more effort is required.

The gap analysis can also be done after the rating, where the process is used to determine which areas require more attention, and what the possible score would be based on a few small changes.

The Indicative Rating Process:

Similar in basic processes to the formal rating, the Indicative Rating's difference lies in the fact that the scorecard information is not verified, but information supplied by the client is accepted on “face-value”. 

It is of the utmost importance to note that this indicative rating process will NOT result in a rating certificate that may be used in the normal process of proving compliance. It is normally used as an internal “pre-rating” exercise to determine whether changes need to be made prior to rating, or whether the client is ready for the process.  The value of this exercise lies in the much shorter turn-around time than the rating exercise, but still results in a deliverable which produces enough information to form the basis of the chronological next step, full rating. 

Ownership Assessment:

With this we verify your ownership element only and provide you with a detailed certificate of your ownership. The normal verification process is followed and the end result will be a valid ownership certificate.

Joint Venture/Consortium Certificate:

With this we will verify a unicorporated Joint Venture that was created between two or more companies for a specific project or as a temporary working together solution. We will assess the BEE certificate of all the involved parties against the share each of the entities has in the Joint Venture or Consortium. The end result will be a Joint Venture/Consortium certificate that is valid for 12 months.

Kindly contact your local Client Service Consultant in order to receive a quote on any of the above service offerings. 

The Rating Process in Detail

We've created this animation of Empowerdex's rating process for you to view. Read further to get more detail and understand how we can work together for best results.

Part 1 - Planning and Preparation

If you wish to engage us please fax the following documentation:-

* Ratings Application Form (find in ratings pack; please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the relevant documentation)
* Empowerdex's signed Standard Terms & Conditions agreement
* Proof of the initial payment as per the pricing matrix contained in the application pack or as per quotation provided
* Signed declaration 
* Company ownership organogram (if you have one)
* Company profile

On receipt of the above you will be contacted to provisionally accept the verification, and to either set up a preliminary site visit date, or confirm the dates when the verification file will be received from the company.

Part 2 - Verification Preparation and information analysis

Empowerdex file with all the requirements as per the Verification Questionnaire should be received. A verification site visit will be conducted after receiving the file once the analyst has chosen what items they will be sampling. Should the file be incomplete, the analyst will send a list of outstanding information that will be required on-site. The purpose of the site visit is to verify information, not to collect information. The analysis of the information must also happen prior to the site visit at the analyst's office, and not on the verification day. Therefore, if the list the analyst compiles is too long, or requests important material information, these will have to be sent beforehand to the office before a site visit date can be confirmed.

A verification site visit date will initially be set as soon as possible after the receipt of the verification file.

Part 3 - On-site Verification

Empowerdex will perform a verification of the information presented, as well as any risk areas identified during analysis of the underlying information through the use of verification procedures, including the validation of supporting documentation, interviews with company representatives, employees, Enterprise Development and/or Socio Economic Development beneficiaries during the verification visits.

On completion of the analysis, Empowerdex will:

Hold a Preliminary Meeting after the verification to communicate the preliminary score and any problems experienced during verification.

The analyst will go back to the office, where the file will be reviewed and a preliminary report will be issued.

The client then has another 5 working-day window period, to appeal against the preliminary score received, should they wish to do so. For more information on the appeal process please consult the company’s 'appeals policy and procedure' document, or ask the client services department to explain the process to you.

Should there be an appeal and all handled satisfactorily, the final report will be issued within five days of acceptance of the preliminary report.

Part 4 – Verifications Outcome

Once you have gone through the verifications process, you will be awarded a verification report with a verification certificate. The overall verification score will be issued as per guidelines in the Codes of Good Practice, e.g.: Level 3 Contributor.

Should you require an in-depth report, especially for board presentation, this can be arranged at an additional fee. Please contact us to discuss this in more detail.

Key projects

• Empowerdex worked with the National Empowerment funding, for a comparative analysis of B-BBEE funding instruments and Empowerdex performed an annual review of funding mechanisms in the South African market aimed at facilitating and furthering B-BBEE Ownership.
• Empowerdex currently researches the most empowered companies (previously Top Empowerment Companies), an analysis is done for Most Empowered Companies, and all the results are published on the section of the independent newspaper and on the Empowerdex website.
• Empowerdex works closely with the Chamber of Mines and its members in addressing the transformational challenges in the industry through a codes aligned Generic Sector Code.

Historical Key projects

• Empowerdex was part of the team that consulted to the Department of Trade and Idustry with respect to the development od the Codes of Good Practice for broad-based black economic empowerment.
• Empowerdex was actively involved with the Department of Agriculture is the updating of its AgriBEE initiative; it conducted a benchmark study, aligning the sector's draft transformation charter with the guidelines set out in the Codes of Good Practice and conduced countrywide briefings to farmers in both rural and urban areas.
• Empowerdex completed a sector audit for the Department of Minerals and Energy to determine private sector compliance against Petroleum and Liquid Fuels Charter.
• Empowerdex was appointed by the Department of Communication as a consultant to measure the level of economic empowerment in the ICT sect and was part of the research team which supported the ICT sector steering committee in the development of the first three drafts of the ICT sector charter.
• Empowerdex was appointed by the Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEAT) to create a comprehensive BEE index for the tourism sector. It also consulted to the DEAT in developing a BEE scorecard for the tourism sector, as well as developing a BEE procurement tool for the department.
• Empowerdex worked closely with SAPIA on a strategy for approaching the 2013 Codes Alignment process as it relates to the development of an industry code for the petroleum sector of South Africa.

Key clients