SRK Consulting (SA), the local arm of the global SRK Consulting group of engineers and scientists, has been awarded Level 1 status in terms of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) codes of good practice.
According to SRK Consulting (SA) managing director Vis Reddy, the new rating demonstrated the business’s strong roots in local, high-quality skills – which extended into its management and ownership. The achievement demonstrated how success breeds success, he said; while the company’s B-BBEE status has steadily evolved on all criteria, training and mentoring are where it scores highest.
“We believe that skills transfer is where true transformation takes place,” said Reddy. “As an employee-owned company, this means that our employment demographics gradually reflect in our ownership profile.”
He noted that SRK’s progress in its transformation journey therefore reinforced the sustainability of its business model. Also, the more transformed a company, the more likely it was to attract a wider range of talent.
“As Level 1 company, we appreciate that we become more attractive to historically disadvantaged individuals, as this speaks to the inclusive culture of our business,” he said.
Another important element supporting SRK’s rating was enterprise development. This included working closely with sub-contractors and suppliers to improve their levels of service and skills.
“We do not compromise on quality, so we insist that our suppliers work to high standards,” he said. “We support them in various ways, ensuring that we contribute to wider economic participation – while helping make each of them become more competitive and resilient.”
He acknowledged the value of a Level 1 rating for clients across industry sectors – who have a preference for companies with higher B-BBEE ratings. The introduction of the latest Mining Charter meant that there will also be more attention paid to these ratings by mining companies.
SRK’s community development contribution aligns with its core interests in scientific learning and environmental sustainability. Among its initiatives are support for education at school and university level in science and engineering, and collaboration with the environmental NGO Trees For Africa.
