{"id":8007,"date":"2012-03-20T00:18:43","date_gmt":"2012-03-19T22:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=8007"},"modified":"2012-03-20T00:25:16","modified_gmt":"2012-03-19T22:25:16","slug":"telkom-explains-no-white-owned-businesses-tenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/telecommunications\/8007\/telkom-explains-no-white-owned-businesses-tenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Telkom explains ‘no white-owned businesses’ tenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some of Telkom<\/a>\u2019s tenders require a minimum effective black ownership of 50.1%, disqualifying any white-owned businesses from the tender process. Telkom explained that this is needed to increase access for Telkom opportunities to black-owned, black-female-owned and qualifying small enterprises.<\/p>\n

In Telkom\u2019s armed response network protection tender, for example, the minimum requirements for bidders include being a level 4 BBBEE contributor, and having an effective black ownership of 50.1%.<\/p>\n

These minimum requirements disqualify white-owned businesses, raising questions about the impact of these strict BBBEE rules on white entrepreneurs trying to break into the telecoms market.<\/p>\n

However, Telkom explained that only a small portion of their tenders (aka, set-aside tenders) have the 50.1% black ownership requirement.<\/p>\n

\u201cTelkom\u2019s preferential procurement policy makes provision for set-aside tenders – i.e. black-owned; black-women-owned; qualifying small enterprises; and exempted micro-enterprises,\u201d Telkom said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSet-aside tenders are enablers to increase access for Telkom opportunities to black-owned, black-women-owned and qualifying small enterprises, and also to comply with the DTI B-BBEE codes of good practice targets.\u201d<\/p>\n

Telkom said that the guidelines to determine set-asides projects include:<\/p>\n