Five years after being ruled as B-BBEE non-compliant, the University of Cape Town has moved up the ranks to become one of the top three B-BBEE compliant universities in South Africa.
“The fact that UCT achieved a level 4 B-BBEE status and managed to maintain that status in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrates UCT’s commitment to transformation. It has not been easy,” said UCT Vice-Chancellor Mamokgethi Phakeng
She said dismantling inequality and redressing injustices of the past – an undertaking on both UCT’s Employment Equity Policy and finance policies aligned to the country’s Broad Based Black Empowerment Act – can never be an easy task; but it had to be done.
A level 4 status is testament to UCT’s unwavering commitment to the Vision 2030 project, which is anchored by the three pillars of excellence, transformation and sustainability.
Phakeng said the ranking will also open new opportunities for UCT’s collaboration with industry, particularly in research, human resources and skills development.
“As a research intense university, a level 4 B-BBEE status means that UCT improves its chances of successfully being awarded research projects from the private sector and government. This will help keep us at the top in terms of groundbreaking research projects that are not only beneficial to South Africans and the continent but to the global community as well,” she said.
UCT performed well in all elements, especially in Preferential Procurement, Enterprise and Supplier Development, and Socio-Economic Development.
UCT Finance Executive Director, Vincent Motholo, said a B-BBEE scorecard is a measurement tool, a barometer showing an entity’s commitment towards social responsibility.
“The initiatives that we implement across all the elements of the B-BBEE scorecard ensures that we are creating a society that is inclusive where all our stakeholders – staff, students, vendors, enterprise and supplier development beneficiaries – have the opportunity to grow and develop themselves to create the South Africa we all want. UCT’s level 4 shows that we are on track to do our part in this journey,” he said.
The commercial impact of the latest ranking, Motholo said, was significant in this tough economic climate as it will have a direct positive impact on the budget, leading to job creation, training opportunities for staff and students and possibly more opportunities for new vendors.
To further improve its B-BBEE status, UCT is working on improving its current vendor database