WEConnect International in South Africa

The South African government is in the process of implementing its Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BB-BEE) program, which involves tougher measures against corporations that do not comply with the policy of sourcing their goods and services from designated groups, including women (and specially black female-owned enterprises), youths, and people with disabilities. Whereas the government's agenda aims to redress the imbalances of the past, it indirectly contributes to strengthening the discourse on sourcing goods and services from WOBs. Sustainable and forward-thinking corporations conducting their businesses in South Africa, should consider the compliance aspect and the strategic value that WOBs bring to their organizations. In South Africa, it is reported that 38 percent of registered businesses are owned by a woman or a group of women. But 20 percent of the South African government procurement spend goes to these WOBs, a figure that tends to be much higher than the percentage of procurement spend on WOBs by private, large, or multinational businesses operating in South Africa. It has been suggested that globally, only 1 percent of corporate businesses procurement expenditures estimated at US $700 billion annually are directed at WOBs.