Proposed amendments to certain sections of the AgriBEE Sector Codes are expected to be Gazetted for public comment within the next few months. Vinpro calls on all wine-related businesses to consider their practical experience with the codes and to submit comments on the proposed revisions when that opportunity arises.

“According to Section 9 of the Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 (and the revised Act 46 in 2013), the AgriBEE Charter Council is required to suggest amendments to the agricultural sector codes whenever the generic BEE codes have been amended,” explains Phil Bowes, enterprise development manager at Vinpro. The amendments to which the AgriBEE Charter Council is responding in its proposed amendments were Gazetted in 2018, and now all the sectors, including agriculture, are expected to review the implications for their sectors and to propose aligned adjustments.

In response to this, the AgriBEE Charter Council has since sourced input from Vinpro and other agricultural organisations on suggested amendments to the sector codes, and submitted a Green Paper to the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC). The Green Paper is expected to be Gazetted for public comment within the next few months.

Some of the amendments that Vinpro submitted to the AgriBEE Charter Council, which the organisation hopes to see in the Green Paper, include an increase in the maximum recognition for unaccredited training, such as Vinpro’s vineyard worker training, from 15% to 25%, as well as an increase in the points received for management control and positive changes to the requirements for preferential procurement.

“We would like to call on all wine-related businesses to ready themselves to provide comprehensive feedback on the suggested amendments to the AgriBEE Sector Codes as soon as they have been published. Together with Vinpro and other agricultural institutions’ submissions, we can all play our part to establish sector codes that are reflective of our industry and businesses’ realities while working towards the overarching goals of progressive and sustainable transformation in South Africa,” Phil says.

For more information contact:
Phil Bowes
Vinpro enterprise development manager
Tel: +27(0)21 276 0434
E-mail: phil@vinpro.co.za