South Africa
B-BBEE ICT Sector Code compliance, made simple
13 yes/no questions on the B-BBEE ICT Sector Code: whether it applies to you, your size category, proof of your level, the scorecard elements, and the requirements specific to the sector. You get a score for each area and a list of gaps with what to do about each one.
ComplianceDesk gives you 7 pre-built B-BBEE ICT Sector Code controls, an evidence vault, audit-ready reports, and reminders before anything falls overdue — so proving B-BBEE ICT Sector Code compliance stops being a spreadsheet exercise.
Take the free self-assessment: a score for each area and a list of gaps to close.
What is B-BBEE ICT Sector Code?
13 yes/no questions on the B-BBEE ICT Sector Code: whether it applies to you, your size category, proof of your level, the scorecard elements, and the requirements specific to the sector. You get a score for each area and a list of gaps with what to do about each one.
- Official name
- B-BBEE ICT Sector Code
- Status
- In force. Shown as in force as we understand it. Check the current text with the regulator or an attorney, since provisions can be amended or commence at different times.
Who it applies to
- Whether it applies to you depends on your size, activities and licences. Use the free "Which laws apply to me?" checker, or read the first section of the self-assessment.
- The ICT Sector Code was gazetted in 2016. Reports say it ran until a date in April 2026 with a mid-term review, or until amended, substituted or repealed (the reported date is invalid, so check the gazette). The B-BBEE ICT Sector Council opened a formal review on 1 April 2026, with written comments due by 20 May 2026, and published an updated framework for equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs).
What you have to do
Does the sector code apply, and where do you fit?
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Have you checked that your business falls inside the scope of the ICT Sector Code, and recorded the answer? Do you know your size category (exempted micro enterprise, qualifying small enterprise or generic enterprise) under this sector code? Do you hold the right proof of your level, either a verification certificate from an accredited agency or, where this sector code allows it, a sworn affidavit?
The scorecard elements
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you know the black ownership of your business and can you prove it from your share register and agreements? Do you track black people and black women at board, executive and management levels against the sector code's targets? Do you spend on skills development for black people, and keep proof of the spend and the training? Do you buy from, and develop, black-owned and small suppliers, and track the spend and the support you give? Do you make socio-economic contributions that benefit black people and keep proof?
ICT sector requirements
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you know whether you are in the ICT sector for the purposes of the code (for example telecommunications, IT services, software or electronic communications), and recorded the basis? If you are a foreign-owned or multinational ICT business, have you looked at equity equivalent investment programmes as an alternative to local ownership, and the Council's updated framework? If you hold an ICASA licence, have you checked how its B-BBEE requirements link to the ICT Sector Code, including the Minister's 2025 proposed policy direction to align them? Are you following the Council's review and ready for changes in targets or rules when the amended code is published?
Evidence and reporting
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Do you keep one evidence file per element each year, so a verifier or the sector council can check your claims?
How to comply, step by step
- Does the sector code apply, and where do you fit?. Compare your main activities with the scope section of the gazetted sector code. A sector code replaces the generic scorecard for entities within its scope. Take advice if you work across sectors. Use the thresholds in the sector code, not the generic figures, and record your category each financial year. Check whether this sector code accepts affidavits, then book verification early. A certificate is valid for 12 months.
- The scorecard elements. Reconcile your securities register to your ownership claim, and keep the agreements. See the B-BBEE assessment. Make a table by level, race and gender, and set yearly targets. Keep invoices, registers and certificates. See the Skills Development assessment. Run a spend analysis by supplier level and record each development contribution. Keep a register of each contribution with the recipient, amount and evidence.
- ICT sector requirements. Check your activities against the code's definition of the ICT sector. Take legal advice before relying on an EEIP. Answer Not applicable if you are locally owned. Follow ICASA notices and align your B-BBEE evidence with your licence conditions. Answer Not applicable if you hold no ICASA licence. Watch for the draft amended code and plan how your scorecard would change.
- Evidence and reporting. Build the evidence file through the year, and not at verification time.
Sources and review status
Compiled from the public sources below. It is not legal advice and has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Last researched 2026-11-01. This is general information, not legal advice. Laws change, so check the current text and the regulator's notices before relying on it.
- ICT Sector Council reviews the ICT Sector Code, publishes updated EEIP framework (Engineering News)
- Council initiates review of ICT transformation code (ITWeb)
- Minister issues proposed policy direction to ICASA on B-BBEE in the ICT sector (Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr)
- ICASA response to the Policy Direction on B-BBEE
- ISPA review of the B-BBEE ICT Sector Code, 20 May 2026
- Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Act 53 of 2003 (Acts Online)
Every B-BBEE ICT Sector Code control, organised for you
The real control library ComplianceDesk seeds the moment you activate B-BBEE ICT Sector Code — 7 controls across 5 categories.
Ownership
- BBICT-1.1 Black ownership target per ICT Sector Code
Management Control
- BBICT-2.1 Black senior/executive management representation
Skills Development
- BBICT-3.1 ICT skills development spend target met
- BBICT-3.2 Learnership and internship programmes implemented
Enterprise & Supplier Development
- BBICT-4.1 Preferential procurement from black-owned ICT suppliers
- BBICT-4.2 Supplier and enterprise development contributions
Socio-Economic Development
- BBICT-5.1 Socio-economic development contributions tracked
Frequently asked questions
How can I check where my business stands on B-BBEE ICT Sector Code?
Take the free self-assessment. It scores each area, lists your gaps with what to do about each one, and does not say you are compliant. You can save the result to ComplianceDesk to turn each gap into a task with an owner and a due date.
Is this guide written by a lawyer?
No. It was assembled from the public sources listed below and has not been reviewed by a lawyer. Treat it as a starting point and check the current law before relying on it.
How many controls does ComplianceDesk track for B-BBEE ICT Sector Code?
7, organised into 5 categories, ready to assign to an owner as soon as you activate the framework.
Can I track B-BBEE ICT Sector Code alongside other frameworks?
Yes — most teams activate several frameworks at once. Controls that overlap across frameworks can share the same evidence, so you don't collect the same document twice.
How long does it take to set up B-BBEE ICT Sector Code in ComplianceDesk?
Activating B-BBEE ICT Sector Code instantly seeds its full control library. Most teams assign owners and get their first controls moving within a day.
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