The second Black Industrialists Energy Summit (BIES) will be held in Cape Town from 11-12 December 2018 to discuss the next steps and opportunities for the Black Industrialists Programme (BIP) in South Africa
The meeting is part of the EnergyWeek South Africa and will take place alongside the International Gas Cooperation Summit and the South Africa Renewable Energy Summit.
Localisation policies have become a permanent factor for energy development in South Africa, with the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) codes of good practice for the petroleum and liquid fuels sector forecast to be released later this year.
The Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPP) programme requires the participation of 40 per cent of South African entities, having already achieved black shareholding of 64.2 per cent local ownership.
The meeting in Cape Town will update delegates on government’s plans for making the BIP a success and creating an environment where entrepreneurship in the energy sector can thrive.
Within two years of launching the BIP in 2012, 102 industrialists received support, while 48 companies received market access assistance.
The Black Energy Professionals Association was launched in April 2018 to increase ownership and build a base for Africa’s industrialists within the energy sector.
Director for EnergyNet’s Africa portfolio Valeria Aruffo commented, “With local content policies rolling out across the continent, we believe this is a key time to address the technicalities of delivering an empowerment programme which also needs to operate as a pragmatic growth strategy, supporting South Africa’s industrialisation efforts to achieve its economic potential.”
Delegates attending the Summit will learn about government strategies to achieve growth, what is expected of BIP participants and how African industrialists can create value, employment, revenue and innovation across the energy value chain.
Participating organisations include the IPP Office, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority (BERA), Atlantis Green-Tech Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Standard Bank, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) and Solar Turtle.
