• Press Office

Shoden’s BBBEE Journey 2007 TO 2010

Background

Shoden Data Systems (Pty) Ltd (Shoden) has always been a strong supporter of Black Economic Empowerment transformation. During 2004, even before the BBBEE Codes were first published, Shoden concluded one of the first Black Equity deals within the ICT industry.

From inception, the major objective of Shoden’s transformation policy was to provide meaningful transformation that would benefit the Southern African I.T. industry, previously disadvantaged individuals and our clients.  The achievement of this objective needed to be aligned with the meeting of Shoden’s company objectives and those of our stakeholders.

A large part of Shoden’s business includes the responsibility for ensuring that the valuable assets of many of Southern Africa’s largest organisations, their data and I.T. systems, are continually available. In meeting this responsibility, Shoden has developed a wealth of experience and expertise to ensure that our clients remain “Always Online”.  Finding the required levels of experience and expertise from the available I.T. resource pool proved to be extremely difficult and Shoden needed to be creative in finding a way to fast-track the augmentation of this pool.

What we did

Shoden developed a strategy in line with the shareholder requirements and Shoden’s philosophy that compliance with BBBEE should not be based purely on the requirements of measuring up to a scorecard but should be an exercise which ensures business-case change for Shoden and more so, actual transformation beyond Shoden’s own needs. The indirect empowerment elements appeared to be the most useful starting point. In 2007, Shoden sponsored a development institution, the “Shoden Academy” with a view to creating a fast-tracked work bridging programme, aimed at introducing black youth to the Shoden environment and training them on vital technical and business skills so as to gear them towards employment of choice.

The Shoden Academy has shown significant results in achieving skills development goals for young black talented I.T. graduates. Currently 6 black engineers are rapidly advancing and gaining experience in Shoden’s Services and Support Department. They are laudably fully employed after having graduated from the challenging two year work-bridging programme. Further, 8 black interns are progressing towards successful employment integration into Shoden and/or its clients. Another approximately 10 young black graduates have been further trained in the Academy and as a result have acquired employment in their field of choice. Our Shoden Academy is now a development programme of choice, attracting more than 250 applications each year! Plans are now under consideration for an expansion of this demanding but highly successful programme on behalf of clients.

Subsequently Shoden has broadened its horizons and sponsored other development initiatives, with a view to continuing the contributions to up-skilling and training people.

The results

Shoden’s investment in BBBEE resulted in a 2008 rating certificate at Level 6. Year on year Shoden’s drive to contribute in every way possible to advancement, empowerment and/or employment of previously disadvantaged people has resulted in an improvement in the scorecard. In August 2009, a rating certificate was issued to Shoden, settling the BBBEE transformation at a Level 5 and as of August 2010 Shoden has been rated as a Level 4 contributor. This creates a total of 100% recognition. Shoden is also a Value Add Supplier which allows Shoden clients enhanced recognition status for their procurement spend on Shoden, enabling an overall claim of 125% of actual spend with Shoden.

The way forward

In accordance with our philosophy of ensuring BBBEE compliance as a business strategy which is not only scorecard driven but also creates real lasting transformation; the major components of our BBBEE 2011 strategy, is a continued commitment to both negotiating a further equity ownership BBBEE transaction and also to the on-going development and succession-training programs for black youth to experience work-bridging programmes and employment/advancement opportunities in the specific arena of an enterprise-class data-centre environment. These will continue to amount to the major thrusts of our on-going transformation initiatives.