The number of black women owning companies – including in the logistics sector – has dropped by 1.3%, from 10.32% in 2016 to 9% in 2017.
This has prompted the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Commission to renew its focus on eradicating barriers to ownership and top executive positions for women in the public and private sector and to help them take advantage of opportunities provided in the B-BBEE Act, according to B-BBEE commissioner, Zodwa Ntuli.
Addressing delegates at the Commission’s first Women Empowerment Conference in Pretoria last week, she said that one of the objectives of the B-BBEE Act was to increase the extent to which black women owned and managed existing and new enterprises, and to increase access to economic activities, infrastructure and skills training.
Ntuli pointed out that while the target for black woman representation on boards was set at 25% in the B-BBEE Codes of Good Practice, current representation was 18% for companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Within the logistics and supply chain industry, only 20% of the management positions are occupied by women.
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B-BBEE commissioner, Zodwa Ntuli.
