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UFS again receives Level-4 BBBEE rating

06 August 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Pixabay

BBEE_read more — Antonie Beukes says although the university is involved in a number of projects that add to its BBBEE rating, considerable attention is given to initiatives to better the lives of some of its suppliers.

For the past two years, the University of the Free State (UFS) has had one of the best Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) ratings among universities in South Africa. The university recently received confirmation that its Level-4 rating has been approved for another year.

According to Antonie Beukes, Assistant Director in the UFS Department of Finance, this rating enables the university to compete with the advantage of a 100% procurement level regarding tenders. “It will also help with our third-stream income, and more importantly, this level assures everyone that we are on the right track regarding BBBEE,” says Beukes.

Opportunity to better the lives of others

The university had to work hard to maintain their Level-4 BBBEE status. Beukes says one of the initiatives they focused on was the development of suppliers and enterprises that are not associated with the UFS.

“Many people think of BBBEE initiatives as a project where money is paid, and that is where the buck stops. Although this may get you some points, it is important for the university to better the lives of others.”

“We mostly focus on Exempted Micro Enterprises (EMEs) and Qualifying Small Enterprises (QSEs), because they are the small, start-up companies that need help to be sustainable. Even though assistance can take various forms, such as spending time with suppliers and offering services at a lower cost or free of charge, the university gives considerable attention to providing training to these service providers,” says Beukes.

Always strive for a better rating

The UFS Department of Finance strives to achieve a better rating each year. “The aim for next year will obviously be to be rated as a Level 3 but maintaining the Level 4 will be a big achievement.”

Beukes, however, points out that one needs to be realistic and must keep track of what is going on in the economy, as well as the challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

He continues: “Strict new rules regarding BBBEE scoring also came into play last year and we see that most businesses are rating lower scores (higher levels), which directly impact the UFS.”

News Archive

CED holds Family Math and Science summit

2009-10-06

At the summit were, from the left: Ms Lorraine Botha(CED); Susan Koen (Coordinator: Frances Baard, Northern Cape); Prof Daniella Coetzee-Manning (Director: CED); Elizna Prinsloo (Project Coordinator: CED); Magriet Fourie (Coordinator: Qwa-Qwa); Anne-Marie Lochner (Coordinator: Namakwa).
Photo: Mangaliso Radebe

The Centre for Education Development (CED) at the University of the Free State launched its Family Math & Family Science roll-out initiative in the Free State and Northern Cape Province at the beginning of 2009. As part of the quality assurance process, a Family Math & Family Science Summit was recently held at the CED to reflect upon the roll-out strategy during 2009. Delegates as far as Qwaqwa in the Free State and De Aar and Springbok in the Northern Cape province, sponsors and other role-players attended the summit to share information regarding the impact and best practices of the roll-out strategy.

The mission of the project is to demystify Math and Science for learners in the early school years by raising their levels of understanding and changing their attitudes towards Sciences and Mathematics. This is done by exposing learners to Family Math & Family Science activities on a regular basis in the classroom and integrating the activities into the curriculum.

A total number of 5112 learners from predominately rural communities in the Free State and Northern Cape provinces were actively involved in doing Math and Science activities during the first 3 terms of 2009. To achieve this, the CED trained 9 Subject Advisors to act as coordinators in their respective regions with the responsibility of training and supporting local teachers in the implementation of the progamme. One of the key elements of the success of the project is the fact that the CED also manufactures and issues the 134 participating teachers with sufficient training material like manipulatives and other activity material to be utilized in the classroom. Without the support of the sponsors, ABSA and SANRAL, the latter would not have been possible.

It is envisaged to include as many schools as possible in the Free State and Northern Cape province in the programme, depending on sponsorships received.

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