Broadband Infraco (BBI), in collaboration with Sentech, has resuscitated the Basadi in Telecoms Programme to empower women-owned businesses and help provide business opportunities.
The programme was initially launched in 2015 by the late former BBI CEO Puleng Kwele.
The aim was to ensure that women play a pivotal role in the telecommunications and constructions sectors, as well as offer support in areas they found challenging.
“The initiative will facilitate for a comprehensive enterprise development and support programme aimed at facilitating technical skills development of female service providers and professionals,” said BBI chairperson Leah Khumalo.
Khumalo emphasised the commitment of BBI to play a significant support role in fortifying the transformation of strategic pillars such as representation in recruitment and supply chain, ensuring that these are implemented with impact.
BBI chief marketing officer Phumza Dyani highlighted the importance of being intentional with transformation programmes and intensifying collaborations as a part of the strategy to accelerate bridging the inequality gap.
One of the pillars of BBI’s Basadi in Telecoms initiative is to increase the company’s spend on local products manufactured by women-owned companies, increase competition within the sector and ensure that the sector is served by a broader representative market.
“Basadi in Telecoms will be a quarterly event and will boast significant brands in the industry, also including original-equipment manufacturers, with the intent to create an industry-wide initiative, where an organisation can influence other organisations through its procurement and purchasing decisions,” said Khumalo.