Question 1

What is the B-BBEE Skills Development scorecard?

Accepted Answer

Skills Development is one of five priority elements on the B-BBEE scorecard. Under Statement 300 of the Amended Generic Codes, companies earn up to 25 points (20 base + 5 bonus) by spending on training, bursaries, and learnerships for black South Africans. It rewards both the quantum of spend and the structure of programmes — not all training counts equally. Skills Development is also a priority element, meaning sub-minimum thresholds apply for level recognition.

Question 2

Did the Skills Development scorecard change in 2019?

Accepted Answer

Yes, materially. The Amended Codes gazetted in December 2018 (effective December 2019) added a new bursary indicator (2.1.2.2) targeting 2.5% of payroll on bursaries for black HEI students, and combined the previously-split employed and unemployed learnership indicators into a single combined 2.2 indicator. Targets, points and indicator structure all changed. Pre-2019 weightings should not be used for current scorecards.

Question 3

Does my training provider's B-BBEE level affect my Skills Development score?

Accepted Answer

No. This is the most common misconception. Your Skills Development points (Statement 300) depend on who you train, how the programme is structured, and whether the provider is QCTO or SETA accredited. The supplier's B-BBEE level only affects your Preferential Procurement recognition (Statement 400) — a separate scorecard element. The same Rand earns under both, but through different rules.

Question 4

Why does the calculator say one supplier triggers more procurement sub-indicators than another?

Accepted Answer

Statement 400 is not a single indicator — it is five sub-indicators (2.1.1 through 2.1.5), each with its own target and points. A generic Level 1 supplier (large enterprise, not Black-owned) only triggers the headline Empowering Supplier sub-indicator. A 100% Black Women-owned EME at Level 1 — like Melsoft — triggers four: Empowering Supplier, EME, ≥51% Black-owned, and ≥30% Black Women-owned. Same Rand of spend, four times the scorecard reach. Most CHROs miss this because the Procurement story is usually told as a single multiplier.

Question 5

What's the difference between QCTO and SETA accreditation?

Accepted Answer

QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations) is the quality body for occupational qualifications. SETAs (Sector Education and Training Authorities) historically accredited skills programmes within their sectors. Under the new occupational qualifications framework, QCTO is the primary accrediting body, with SETAs delegated for specific sectors. For B-BBEE recognition, training delivered by either QCTO-accredited or SETA-accredited providers is recognised in full; non-accredited training is capped.

Question 6

How much non-accredited training can I claim under the 2019 Codes?

Accepted Answer

The 2019 Amended Codes cap informal (non-accredited) training — Categories F and G of the Learning Programme Matrix — at 25% of the total recognised qualifying Skills Development spend pool. This is a pool-level cap, not a per-Rand reduction. This calculator approximates the cap conservatively by applying a 25% effective recognition factor to non-accredited spend on indicators 2.1.1 and 2.1.2.1. A SANAS-accredited Verification Agency assesses the cap against your full spend pool.

Question 7

What is the leviable amount?

Accepted Answer

The leviable amount is the total payroll subject to the Skills Development Levy (SDL) under the Skills Development Levies Act. It's typically declared on your EMP501 reconciliation. All Skills Development scorecard targets — 3.5% general spend, 0.3% disability spend, 2.5% bursaries — are expressed as percentages of this leviable amount. Companies with payroll under the SDL threshold may be exempt from the levy but still measurable for B-BBEE.

Question 8

Can bursaries earn extra B-BBEE points?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Indicator 2.1.2.2 was added in the 2019 amendment specifically to incentivise bursary funding for black students at Higher Education Institutions. Up to 4 points are available for spend equal to 2.5% of leviable amount. To qualify, bursaries must fund accredited HEI programmes — formal NQF-aligned qualifications. Bursaries for non-accredited courses or non-HEI programmes do not earn under 2.1.2.2.

Question 9

How do learnerships and absorption bonus points work?

Accepted Answer

Indicator 2.2 awards up to 6 points for having black learners on learnerships, apprenticeships or internships, against a target of 5% of total headcount. The 2019 amendment combined what used to be separate employed and unemployed learnership lines. Bonus indicator 2.3 awards up to 5 points for absorbing unemployed learners into permanent employment after their programme — measured against the same 5% absorption target. Absorption is the highest-leverage bonus on the scorecard.

See what your training spend really earns you on the B-BBEE scorecard.

Skills Development Score

Preferential Procurement

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