Every now and again, we are faced with the question: “Who is authorised to issue a valid B-BBEE certificate?”
The answer is quite clear. A B-BBEE verification certificate can only be issued by a verification professional accredited by SANAS (the South African National Accreditation System). The ongoing importance of SANAS cannot be understated. The accreditation of B-BBEE verification agencies provides clients with the assurance that their B-BBEE certificates will be valid and their scorecard ratings accurate.

When appointing a B-BBEE verification agency, it is important to do the following:
Ask for a copy of the agency’s SANAS accreditation certificate (agencies have unique SANAS accreditation numbers starting with BVA…).
Check on the SANAS website that the accreditation is still intact:
https://www.sanas.co.za/Pages/index.aspx
Obtain a quotation and ensure that you understand the terms and conditions as well as the process and timelines that the agency follows.
Ensure that the chosen agency allocates a team with the technical expertise and experience required based on the complexity of the business and the industry in which it operates.
(You may request to view the CVs of the team undertaking the B-BBEE verification.)
When you receive the B-BBEE verification certificate, ensure that it contains the unique SANAS accreditation symbol, a unique certificate number and that the technical signatory of the agency signed it.

The role of B-BBEE verification agency is to assess, verify, and validate disclosed and undisclosed B-BBEE-related information of measured entities. SANAS regulations clearly state that B-BBEE verification agencies may not provide any B-BBEE consulting services to their clients; their role is to act as independent auditors and not to advise. Clients requiring assistance in terms of B-BBEE planning and development of B-BBEE strategies would therefore need to engage with a B-BBEE advisor or consultant working independently from the chosen B-BBEE verification agency.

For any B-BBEE-related assistance, please contact the CORE BEE team.

Prepared by CORE BEE

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