Digicall, the leading South African outsourced business process and incident management company, today announced that it has achieved B-BBEE Level 2 Contributor Status, thanks to its transformation programme that has been running for the past three years. In terms of the company’s transformation efforts, the focus has been – and continues to be – on development and upliftment of previously disadvantaged South Africans.
Digicall has put in place numerous skills-development, education and training interventions, both to upskill existing staff and to source, train and, eventually offer the possibility of employment to apprentices, learners and interns. At present the company has 40 unemployed and disabled learners in this programme.
Of the existing employees, 24 black staff have been entered into NQF Level 5 Management Learnership programmes, which the company expects will provide them with the skills and knowledge to pursue management careers within the group. In addition, black employees who wish to further their studies are provided with financial support. In this way the group hopes to encourage ongoing education and training to ensure a strong core of skilled black employees.
Digicall South Africa has also focused on increasing the diversity of company ownership. The business started as a family-owned business, but over the last six months has made great strides towards diversifying ownership. Through the appointment of two black board members, both of whom have a percentage ownership in the business, Digicall SA has increased its board representation to 50% black, and its black ownership to 25%.
Externally, the group has concentrated on its procurement processes, working closely with a number of small to medium providers to not only utilise their services, but also to provide assistance in terms of training, upskilling and support. In this way, the company not only secures a reliable product and service provider base, but also empowers these providers to increase their own business and contribution to transformation.
Group Chief Financial Officer, Conrad Erasmus, says of the programmes that have been adopted by the company: “Digicall is committed to a B-BBEE strategy that is aimed at nurturing a sustainable transformation environment for our customers and to contribute in a positive and responsible manner to the wider objectives of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act and the Codes of Good Practice on Black Economic Empowerment.”
Regarding the success in achieving Level 2 Contributor Status, Erasmus said: “This is an achievement that we are tremendously proud of, not because we see it as a destination, but merely another, if not insignificant, step in our transformation journey. Our achieving Level 2 Status is a result of both our transformation philosophy and the hard work we have undertaken to change people’s lives, which is something we believe in very strongly. It is a source of enormous pride and achievement for everyone involved.
“We believe that this will further aid us to take up our role in the successful social and economic transformation of the South African landscape, and to work in close cohesion with our clients to also help them achieve their procurement and B-BBEE objectives. The rating is good news for Digicall South Africa’s clients, as they can claim 125% of what they spend for their own scorecard”. Level 2 contributors have a 125% procurement recognition level.
This achievement comes just in time for the company’s 15th birthday celebrations. The business was originally launched end of November 2003 and now also has operations in Australia and the United Kingdom. The group currently employs over 1 800 people.