In many of my introductory discussions with business owners and leaders, we deal with the “why do we have to do this?” question. Business leaders can regard it as a grudge or worse, fail to see any benefit to their business.

BEE certification in South Africa is in many instances a ticket to the game (the price of admission). I would structure the argument around ‘It’s not a question of why it needs to be done, but more a question of doing it well’. There is a real opportunity to outperform your competition by doing it well. A BEE strategy is not a one-size-fits-all solution, it’s dependent on the market, strategy and ambitions of each company to define an approach that will work best. There are fantastic examples of real business value created through the execution of a sound BEE strategy.

Once there is a clear view of the opportunities, the grudge becomes an investment to unlock it. This is when Gestalt can add the most value in aligning business strategy with BEE strategy in the most cost effective and sustainable way. If we can guide micro startups and large multinationals to Level 1, imagine what we can do for you.

If your BEE strategy is aligned with your business strategy in the right way (cost effective and in a sustainable way) real investment gets unlocked.

How to define the risk and reward? Be honest about what the risk to your business would be if you do nothing and let us explore the opportunities that may be unlocked if the company is a Level 1 Black Woman Owned business, for example.

What are the rewards for implementing your BEE strategy well? The risks of not having a BEE strategy and the risk of not implementing your BEE strategy the right way?

Deon Oberholzer
CEO