Online B-BBEE Initiative for supporting the Arts

3 Feb 2014

With the financial year-end fast approaching for most companies, an established and innovative online initiative is making it easy for businesses to channel their Socio-Economic Development (SED) contributions towards arts and culture.

The BASA | Middel & Partners SED Programme provides a simplified on-line platform for businesses to maximise their SED points on their B-BBEE scorecard.

Running for close to a year now, the BASA | Middel & Partners SED Programme was created by Business and Arts South Africa, , and Middel & Partners, a business consulting and auditing firm that is also an IRBA approved B-BBEE service provider. Since launching in 2013, the programme has already been used by a number of South African businesses, both large and small.

Backed by the technology of an online ticketing system Tixsa, the online initiative takes the form of a simplified platform that enables businesses, at the click of a button, to support three arts projects.

These are Drama For Life, Africa's leader in the interdisciplinary approach to Applied Drama, Drama in Education and Drama in Therapy; Sibikwa Arts Centre, which focuses on art education, vocational training and job creation; and the Keiskamma Art Project, which is based in the Peddie South District of the Eastern Cape and enjoys a strong track-record of innovative and multi-faceted community development projects

In allowing businesses to channel their B-BBEE socio-economic development contributions towards arts and culture, The BASA | Middel & Partners SED Programme enables businesses to comply with the BEE Act - in particular the promotion of black people' sustainable access to the economy through the contribution of 1% of their profits to socio-economic development.

In addition, businesses' contributions to arts and culture through this programme will also qualify as socio-economic development contributions under the BEE Act, through an impact on the sustainable economic participation of artists, musicians and actors.

With Middel & Partners providing the B-BBEE expertise, Tixsa ensuring a secure online payment system and BASA playing a central role in accessing sustainable and robust arts and culture projects that have 75% or more black beneficiaries, the BASA | Middel & Partners SED Programme is an important mechanism for South African businesses to be both compliant and contribute to the arts sector.

For further information please contact call +27 (0)11 447 2295 or e-mail az.oc.asab@ofni.