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06 August 2020 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Pixabay
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.”

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2015 Erasmus Mundus Grantees announced
2015-07-07


Front row, from the left: Frans Kruger, Lecturer: School of Education Studies; Trudie Strauss, Lecturer, Mathematical Statistics and Actuarial Science
Back row, from the left: Johnathan Adams, Teaching Assistant: Centre for Teaching and Learning; Moliehi Rosemary Mpeli, Lecturer: School of Nursing; Ncedo Xhala, Research Assistant: Quantity Surveying and Construction Management.
Photo: Mamosa Makaya

The grantees of the 2015 Erasmus Mundus programme have been announced, and will soon head off to various institutions at European universities to embark on academic and professional exchange programmes. The cohort is made up of some of the best, most talented staff of the university, who are currently studying towards master’s and PhD programmes in fields such as Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences, Quantity Surveying, Bioethics, and Education.

The Erasmus Mundus programme is an international partnership that enhances academic cooperation between institutions of higher education in South Africa and the European Union, and has within it the EUROSA, EU Saturn and INSPIRE programmes. It aims to promote inter-cultural understanding, and the development of both European and Third-Country universities.  The UFS has participated in the programme since 2010. In 2014, 13 staff members were granted PhD and master’s study programmes for a period of up to 22 months in various fields such as Communication Science, Urban and Regional Planning and Law, at among others, the Universities of Ghent, Antwerp Tilburg and Uppsala.

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