ITWeb and Brainier Capital will hold a black economic empowerment (BEE) conference in Midrand in August to facilitate talks about the proposed ICT empowerment charter and workshop BEE implementation within business.
Brainier Capital MD Brian Rainier says the conference will provide an opportunity for industry players to educate themselves about future proposed requirements for BEE.
"If the ICT industry wishes to avoid the current mad BEE scramble being seen in the financial sector, it needs to educate itself on the proposed requirements and processes surrounding the proposed ICT empowerment charter currently under discussion," he says.
The conference will be made up of two sessions. The first will examine government`s stance on empowerment and the ICT industry`s response to the proposed ICT empowerment charter.
Members of the representative ICT BEE working group will brief conference delegates on government`s current stance on empowerment within the sector and the preliminary response from the ICT industry. Delegates will also have the chance to give their own input ahead of the ICT empowerment charter indaba to be held in September.
Rainier says the second session of the conference will aim to help the industry further understand how to practically implement BEE in a business.
"The implementation of BEE is changing the nature of the ICT industry and companies would be well advised to prepare themselves as soon as possible for both opportunities and threats created by proposed new legislation and industry policies," Rainier says. "Many companies seem unable to take their first steps and this appears to be from a lack of knowledge of what is required as well as how to engage with potential black partners.
"The conference delegates will be addressed by leaders in the industry who have been successful in implementing BEE within their businesses," he says.
The speakers in session two will include Datacentrix director Neville Naidoo, who will outline Datacentrix`s successful BEE implementation; Enterprise Connection executive director Mncedisi Mayekiso, who will discuss how he successfully purchased control of Enterprise Connection; and Brian Khumalo, co-founder of Leaders Unlimited, who will share his knowledge on the realities of assessing and identifying suitable BEE partners.
"The conference will end with a panel discussion, raising the key issues and providing guidelines towards an industry consensus in drafting an empowerment charter," Rainier says.
The conference will take place at Gallagher Estate on Wednesday, 13 August. Book online here.
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