South Africa
B-BBEE MAC Sector Code compliance, made simple
13 yes/no questions on the B-BBEE Marketing, Advertising and Communication 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 9 pre-built B-BBEE MAC Sector Code controls, an evidence vault, audit-ready reports, and reminders before anything falls overdue — so proving B-BBEE MAC 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 MAC Sector Code?
13 yes/no questions on the B-BBEE Marketing, Advertising and Communication 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 Marketing, Advertising and Communication 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.
- One marketing-industry source reports that the B-BBEE Sector Code for the Marketing, Advertising and Communications (MAC) industry was gazetted on 1 April 2016, following the MAC Transformation Charter gazetted in 2008 (Government Gazette 31371). It is described as covering advertising, public relations and communication across media, including digital. We could not read the gazette, so treat the details as reported.
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 Marketing, Advertising and Communication 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?
Marketing, Advertising and Communication sector requirements
A business should be able to show that it can answer yes to these: Have you checked whether most of your income comes from marketing, advertising or communication work, which decides whether the MAC code applies? Do you know the ownership target the MAC code sets for your size category, and compare your ownership with it? If you are a qualifying small enterprise, do you know which elements you must choose and that some elements are compulsory? Do you use freelancers and production partners, and do you track their B-BBEE status for your supplier spend?
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.
- Marketing, Advertising and Communication sector requirements. Work out your income by activity and compare it with the scope wording in the gazetted code. Take the target from the gazetted code, not from commentary, and record your position each year. Confirm the element rules for your category and pick the elements that give you the best result. Collect a certificate or affidavit from each supplier and keep it with the spend analysis.
- 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.
Every B-BBEE MAC Sector Code control, organised for you
The real control library ComplianceDesk seeds the moment you activate B-BBEE MAC Sector Code — 9 controls across 6 categories.
Ownership
- BMC-1.1 Ownership measured under the sector code
- BMC-1.2 Ownership evidence kept
Management Control
- BMC-2.1 Representation tracked by level
Skills Development
- BMC-3.1 Skills spend measured against the sector code
Enterprise & Supplier Development
- BMC-4.1 Procurement spend analysed by supplier level
- BMC-4.2 Enterprise and supplier development contributions recorded
Socio-Economic Development
- BMC-5.1 Socio-economic contributions recorded
MAC Sector Requirements
- BMC-6.1 Scope and size category confirmed
- BMC-6.2 Verification booked and certificate current
Frequently asked questions
How can I check where my business stands on B-BBEE Marketing, Advertising and Communication 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 MAC Sector Code?
9, organised into 6 categories, ready to assign to an owner as soon as you activate the framework.
Can I track B-BBEE MAC 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 MAC Sector Code in ComplianceDesk?
Activating B-BBEE MAC 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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