7 / 44
5
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JANUARY
2017
He encourages members to participate in supplying information
through the system, so that accurate data could be built up over
time. The BCCEI facilitates collective bargaining between employer
organisations and trade unions that are party to the council; it also
monitors compliance with the agreed minimum conditions
of employment.
The initiative is the brainchild of Damian Judge, Kaytech’s financial
director, who assessed the Government’s drive to grow smaller
businesses thus, “While allocating them specific sized contracts
to help secure projects, improve skills and potentially grow their
businesses is noble, no one stops to assess whether or not these
companies are financially stable, or have good financial structures in
place to adequately plan these jobs and manage their cash flows.”
Judge contacted The Hope Factory, which specialises in financial
and business mentorship of small businesses; helping them to
understand the financial aspects of running a business and ensuring
that they are legally compliant.
Kaytech hosted a lunch at which The Hope Factory presented
their business model and Judge presented their smaller customers
with an opportunity for four customers to join the two-month
programme. This holistic mentoring programme includes a
Business Development Class (12 hours per month) and supplies
relevant feedback and measurement reports on the progress of
each entrepreneur.
Judge clarifies his objectives as follows, “Big businesses all
need to spend money on business development from a B-BBEE
perspective and some choose to pay it straight to an organisation
like The Hope Factory and get their points. At Kaytech, we chose
to use that spending to add value to our customers, by showing
an interest in improving their businesses and hopefully they will
Hope for B-BBEE entrepreneurs
Kaytech has implemented the first of an exciting new
B-BBEE initiative to help improve their own customers’
business skills. By contracting The Hope Factory to
provide a business mentorship programme to four
selected small business owners and customers of
Kaytech, they are helping them to grow their businesses
and become financially stable.
Testimonials from some of the first ‘graduates’ of the Kaytech
mentorship programme:
“The Hope Factory, through Kaytech, has provided me with
knowledge of business that I was not aware of; such as the
accounting aspects and how important it is to keep your personal
financial activities separate from business activities,”
– Abongile Nonkelela, Nonky Civil Construction & Plant Hire.
“The training was good and I have improved my practical skills
and gained knowledge and understanding from all the speakers,”
– Moses Zondo, Nkangala Construction.
“The Hope Factory and Kaytech have opened up my eyes on many
aspects of my core business and the compliances needed,”
– Wiseman Motsami Motaung, WM Motaung Civils.
return the favour by buying more products from us and being loyal
supporters of the Kaytech brand. But that’s not a given so we are
trying to do our bit by improving the industry we operate in.”
Jackie Gossman, senior executive at The Hope Factory, shares
why they valued working with Kaytech: “We recognize the benefits
of partnerships of this nature with the private sector. Collectively
we can have a far greater impact on entrepreneurial development
in our country”.
According to Nick Faasen, BCCEI general secretary, electronic
registrations can be accepted through the organisation’s website.
He also encourages member companies to submit their levy returns
electronically rather than using the previous, manual method.
“We are pleased to offer members this quicker system, especially
as it will largely eliminate human error,” Faasen says. “If the levy
return is the same as the one submitted the previous month, it
can just be duplicated using a one-click system – saving time and
improving productivity for everyone involved.”
He says the system has another valuable benefit – to enable
BCCEI to further develop its database and to gather verifiable
statistics from the industry.
“Certain statistics relating to the civil engineering sector are
available, but they are lumped together with the construction
industry and do not accurately represent our sector,” he says. “We
need to build up our own statistics and this electronic system will
allow us to do that.”
Easier, quicker registrations and returns
To allow member companies to register more easily, as well
as to submit levy returns online, the Bargaining Council
for the Civil Engineering Industry (BCCEI) has developed a
competent and user friendly electronic system.
To allow member companies to register more easily, as well as
to submit levy returns online, the Bargaining Council for the Civil
Engineering Industry (BCCEI) has developed a competent and user
friendly electronic system.