The Civil Engineering Contractor March 2018 | Page 36

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP Transformation beyond the scorecard By Paul Olivier Real transformation is an ethical issue, way more than ticking boxes on a scorecard or ‘fronting’ business with a token person are. J G Afrika recently achieved a Level 1 broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) rating. This accomplishment, combined with the firm’s 51% empowerment shareholding, reaffirms our commitment to real transformation in South Africa. While every business needs to identify and focus on its competitive edge — and transformation certainly helps companies remain competitive in the current bidding environment — this is certainly not our primary driver for achieving a Level 1 B-BBEE status. For us, transformation is an ethical business practice and, therefore, needs to exceed the scorecard. Our competitive edge has always been the professionalism and dedication of our staff and the quality services they deliver. To understand JG Afrika’