SMME NEWS - OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE

3 smme news the heartbeat of small enterprises
Department of Labor’s Public Hearings on Proposed
Employment Equity Amendments & Regulations Moves To KZN
By : Oyewo-Umoh Adetola Elizabeth
The Department of Labor’s Employment Equity
(EE) Directorate’s national public hearings on
the tagged ‘Real transformation makes business
sense’ was unpacked in KwaZulu-Natal. With
public hearing held on 9th October 2018 at the
Golden Horse Casino Hotel, Pietermaritzburg
and on 10th October 2018 at the Olive Convention
Centre, Durban.
The public hearing discussion focused on the
EE amendments such as alignment between
defi nitions, policy provisions on collection of data
for the National Minimum Wage Commission.
The introduction of provisions and regulatory
requirements for the promulgation of Section 53
to ensure employers benefi ting fi nancially from
State contracts comply with the EE Act.
Attendees at the Durban roadshow.
The objectives of the public hearing was to
unpack the Department of Labour proposed
amendments which aimed to eradicate unfair
discrimination in the workplace.
This is in recognition that 20 years since the
inception of the Employment Equity Act enacted
in 1998, the published Employment Equity
Amendment Bill and the Draft Employment
Equity Regulations in the Government Gazette,
there was still slow pace of transformation in the
workplace.
The public hearings aimed to gather comments
to the proposed amendments, with focus on
employment equity (EE) reporting advocacy
and the amendments to EE legislation and
regulations so as to fast-track the transformation
of workplaces.
Secondly, to make reporting requirements
easier for designated employers who are small
employers. In addition to introduction of provisions
in the EE Amendment Bill and regulations for the
consultation and setting of numerically based
sector targets across various occupational levels
to ensure an equitably represented workforce.
Department of Labour Senior Practitioner-
Registry, Robert Dzhombere explained that
designated employers are expected to report EE.
Designated employers are organizations with 50
employees. The rationale for such ‘discussion
on EE online reporting is because employers
and business are still not compliant and some
organization do not promote their staff which
negates the EE Act’, said Department of Labour
Senior Practitioner-Registry, Robert Dzhombere.
The complaint level in KwaZulu-Natal is also less
than 4%.
Deputy Director, Department of Labour Deputy
Director: Employment and Equity, Masilo Lefi ka
emphasized that ‘SMEs are not to report because
they are not in the designated employer group
because they are have less than 50 employees
and still babies in terms of business , we need
them to flourish and grow’.
The proposal is also in recognition of identifi ed
sectors from 11 to 18 sector and discussions
with the Department social partner, National
Economic Development and Labour Council –
Nedlac
The EE 2018 online reporting is open and the
online EE reporting closes on 15 January 2019.
For more information and to comment on the
proposed EE amendments visit www.labour.gov.
za. The comment form can be accessed on our
website.
KwaZulu-Natal Trade and Investment Week (TIKZN) 2018
By: Anele S. Gumede
From the 1st to the 5th of October 2018 the Durban
ICC hosted the KwaZulu-Natal Trade Investment Export
week. The TIKZN is an annual programme of trade and
Investments in KwaZulu-Natal. The Expo was held to
highlight the importance of exporting in the KwaZulu-
Natal economy and to celebrate all the succeeding
export businesses in South Africa.
The Expo week was filled with information and
networking session for emerging exporters, existing
exporters and seasoned exporters. The main aim for the
exporter week was to develop, recognise, promote and
assist with growing KwaZulu-Natal’s export businesses
and industries. The Expo is to allow many businesses
to grown and understand the different and safe ways of
trading. Throughout the week a variety of seminars were
held where comprehensive programmes of activities
and where professionals had shared their thought and
ideas on development and information on the growth
of sectors and market opportunities to KwaZulu-Natal’s
new exporters and international businesses.
“Networking is very important for businesses so please
embrace this opportunity and get to know each other as
businesses.”
The seminar had a number of important people to talk to
these businesses about running exporting businesses
and how to trade with other countries. Dr Martin
Cameron Director and Owner of Trade and Research
Advisory (Pty) Ltd, MARCAM Software and Consulting
Company was speaker and facilitator on the last day of
the Expo week.
“South Africa needs to move forward and Trade policy
and Industrial policy should work together” Says Dr
Cameron
The TIKZN is looking to way to helping and developing
South African firms and teach South Africans about how
to trade with other African Countries.
The only way to grow Africa is by getting all the
government parties such as SARS to help the country go
forward.
In South Africa we have a great relationship with other
countries and we need to use that to our advantage and
trade.
“We need to challenge not only people like the TKZN but
also companies like the ADA and many other well-known
Companies”
In closing Dr Martin Cameron ended by advising SMME’s
on the world of Trade and how entering into Trade can
affect their businesses.
“SMME’s should not enter into Trade because they are
only setting themselves up for failure, unless they have a
good product.”
All TIKZN videos can be accessed on
the SMME News Youtube channel and
all images can be located through our
website’s photo gallery.
Prominet attendees at the Exporter Awards
National Business delegates from China
Economist, Christopher Woods
Winners & contests of the Exporter Awards
issue no. 23
OCTOBER 2018