BBBEE Level 3 Certification for GREEN HOME

Update, in 2020 we beat our own goals and achieved Level 2 BBBEE certification. Read more here.

We are thrilled to have achieved our BBBEE level 3 certification. We have just completed the process and want to share how our new certification benefits our clients. And, we’d like to offer our insights into the journey, what we learned and our motivation for doing it.

The process has taken a lot of work and dedication, but is also a celebration of our commitment to affecting change in South Africa. We are so excited about the positive outcomes this certification offers GREEN HOME, the communities we operate in, our stakeholders and, of course, our customers.

We are Proud to be Actively Contributing to South Africa’s Growth

BBBEE certification is becoming increasingly important in the South African business world. If correctly applied it can be a real growth opportunity for both businesses and their employees. The benefits can also extend to associated businesses, such as suppliers, and can stimulating corporate social investment.

As we all know, skills development is crucial in South Africa. Through active and intentional participation, the BBBEE certification process can create skills development opportunities, while also benefiting enterprise development and socio-economic empowerment. All of which contribute to the strengthening of South Africa’s economy.

How Setting the Right Framework can Lead to Targeted Improvements

To derive the maximum benefits from the certification process, it’s important to plan for it properly. By setting the right framework, you can achieve your intended outcome. For example, get clear about the skills and empowerment objectives you’d like to realize.

At GREEN HOME, we looked at each of our departments and analysed where we could enhance skills and close skill gaps. We thought about how further training could help both the individual and the company to grow. And then we identified the right training programs we could employ to up-skill our employees in these areas.

BBBEE certification places a strong emphasis on your business’s skills development plan so this is an important area to focus on. We know that the hard work that went into creating and implementing our plan will pay multiple dividends for our employees, business and clients in the future.

An Opportunity to Make a Difference

GREEN HOME’s managing director, Catherine Morris (left), with Mickey Linda (aka Mama Mickey) who runs Yiza Ekhaya

Socio-economic empowerment is another part of the BBBEE certification process. We are continuing to focus on providing support for Yiza Ekhaya Soup Kitchen in Khayelitsha. Yiza Ekhaya provides food, shelter and a safe space to over 250 children in Kuyasa, one of the poorest neighbourhoods in the country. It is a beacon of hope in the surrounding community.

GREEN HOME has been providing financial, administrative, practical and networking support for Yiza Ekhaya since Mandela Day in 2010. A few years ago, we helped provide Yiza Ekhaya with a permanent structure in the form of Khayelitsha’s first (and SA’s third) Hemp building.
Recently, we built Yiza Ekhaya a new website that tells the story of this amazing initiative and also provides a platform where the public can make much needed donations. We also manage the Yiza Ekhya Facebook page.

School boys enjoying a meal outside at Yiza Ekhaya

Supplier and Enterprise Development are another component of BBBEE certification. This presents a further opportunity to have a positive impact. We identified one of our suppliers that we thought we could assist and enrolled him in a training course to help him grow his business.

And we located a small, recently established business that we could assist through Enterprise Development. We donated Hot Cups to I Love Coffee, a social enterprise who train and employ deaf youth and aim to break down communication barriers between the hearing and the deaf.

I Love Coffee also focus on caring for the environment. We’re happy that our donated Hot Cups can assist them in achieving both financial and environmental sustainability.

GREEN HOME’s finance manager, Marisa Von Brandis (second left), donating Hot Cups to staff at I Love Coffee

Empowering South Africa’s Women

Company veteran Phindi Dlamini (left), with founder, Catherine Morris. Female empowerment and leadership are core values at GREEN HOME.

GREEN HOME is a woman-owned business that has focused on empowering women since day one. This commitment has been further strengthened by our BBBEE certification process, with female empowerment strongly reflected in our ownership and equity structure.

The newly formed GREEN HOME Empowerment Trust results in long term financial benefit to employees of the company.

How our Level 3 Certification Benefits our Clients

Our BBBEE certified clients can now claim 110% of their procurement spend with us for their BBBEE certification and thus benefit from doing business with us.

We are thrilled that we can assist them in achieving their sustainability goals and meeting their BBBEE procurement spend targets simultaneously.

We were aiming for at least level 4, to enable our BBBEE compliant clients to claim back 100% of their procurement spend with us. Of course, we’re delighted to have achieved level 3 and to be benefiting them even more.

Not the Easy Thing, but the Right Thing

Our BBBEE certification process has been a lot of hard work and has been time consuming. But it’s also been rewarding, and we are extremely pleased with the outcome.

We are now committed to continuing the process. Going forward we feel we have a strong foundation from which we will continue to grow.

If you’d like to see our certificate, click here.