By Noko Mashilo
A long-awaited shift in South Africa’s economic transformation landscape has finally arrived. The Black Entrepreneurs Alliance (BEA) has welcomed the gazetted amendments to the BBBEE Codes of Good Practice, describing them as a decisive breakthrough for black entrepreneurs who have for years battled systemic barriers to funding, market access, and procurement opportunities.
Effective from January 2026, the amendments signal a renewed commitment to meaningful inclusion, moving transformation from policy promises to practical participation in the mainstream economy.
Speaking to Vula Vala, Refilwe Monageng, CEO of Black Economic Alliance, said the organisation is encouraged by the introduction of the aggregation of funding and procurement opportunities, describing it as a core focus of BEA’s long-standing advocacy efforts.
“This is a major step towards creating a more equitable economy, enabling black-owned businesses to compete and thrive,” Monageng said.
Among the key amendments is the introduction of a Transformation Fund, where contributions will drive empowerment objectives and offer an alternative to existing Enterprise and Supplier Development (ESD) contributions. The revised codes also introduce aggressive procurement targets, including a 25% target for procurement from 100% black-owned enterprises, with specific targets set for black women-owned businesses and other designated groups.
In addition, the preferential procurement framework has shifted its focus towards 100% black-owned suppliers, with bonus points awarded to suppliers from black-designated groups, reinforcing efforts to deepen inclusive participation in the economy.
While welcoming these developments, BEA has stressed that more decisive interventions are required to achieve total economic inclusion. The organisation is calling for equitable access to mainstream markets to ensure black-owned businesses can compete on fair footing, as well as credit amnesty to support entrepreneurs constrained by limited access to finance. BEA has further proposed a tax amnesty to help emerging businesses stabilise and grow.
According to BEA, these measures will strengthen the impact of the amended BBBEE Codes and contribute towards building a more inclusive and transformed economy.
