Cloud PBX • Procurement

Is your VoIP provider B-BBEE compliant? A procurement guide for corporate and tender buyers

For a corporate or public-sector buyer, a telecoms supplier’s B-BBEE status moves tender points and your own scorecard. Here is how the ICT Sector Code applies to VoIP and cloud PBX providers, what evidence to ask for, and how to check it before you sign.

Last verified 23 October 2026By the WhichVoIP editorial team7 min read

ICT Codethe sector code that measures telecoms suppliers

135%of spend recognised for a Level 1 supplier

80/20or 90/10 price and preference points in tenders

R50mtender value above which 90/10 applies

The short answer

How do you check whether a VoIP provider is B-BBEE compliant?

Ask for its current B-BBEE certificate or sworn affidavit and check four things: it was measured under the ICT Sector Code, it is still in date, it names the exact company you will contract with, and a certificate comes from an accredited verification agency. Then confirm the level gives you the procurement recognition, or tender points, you need.

Why does a telecoms supplier’s B-BBEE level matter?

Phone systems are a recurring, multi-year spend, which makes the supplier’s level count twice: once in how you choose, and every year after in how that spend is recognised.

Corporate buyers

Your own scorecard

Where it countsPreferential procurement element
HowSpend recognised at the supplier’s level
EffectSame contract, different score

Public-sector buyers

Where it countsTender evaluation
HowSpecific-goal points set by the organ of state
EffectCan decide a close tender

Suppliers to both

Where it countsYour own customers’ scorecards
HowYour supply chain is measured too
EffectCustomers ask for your level

Very little telecoms content addresses this from the buyer’s side. Provider sites list their own level; nobody explains how to check it or what it is worth. That is the gap this guide fills.

Tender document and ring binder beside an IP desk phone on an office desk — A three-year phone contract is three years of procurement spend on your scorecard, recognised at the supplier’s level.

Which B-BBEE code applies to VoIP and cloud PBX providers?

The Amended ICT Sector Code, gazetted on 7 November 2016. It measures businesses in information and communications technology, which includes telecommunications, so a VoIP or cloud PBX provider should be measured under it rather than the generic codes.

Each supplier’s score converts to a status level, and each level to a procurement recognition percentage. That percentage is what your own scorecard uses:

Supplier’s B-BBEE level	Procurement recognition	R1m of telecoms spend counts as
Level 1	135%	R1.35m
Level 2	125%	R1.25m
Level 3	110%	R1.1m
Level 4	100%	R1m
Level 5	80%	R800,000
Level 6	60%	R600,000
Level 7	50%	R500,000
Level 8	10%	R100,000
Non-compliant	0%	R0

Smaller suppliers are measured differently. Under the ICT Sector Code, an exempted micro-enterprise (annual revenue of R10 million or less) is deemed at least Level 4, and a higher level if it is black-owned. A qualifying small enterprise (up to R50 million) uses a shorter scorecard. Many South African VoIP and cloud PBX companies fall into one of these two bands.

Watch out: the code is under review. In May 2026 ISPA, the internet service providers’ association, asked the ICT Sector Council to raise the small-business thresholds and simplify the scorecard. Until an amended code is gazetted, the 2016 code applies, so check the date on anything a supplier sends you.

What B-BBEE evidence should a VoIP provider give you?

It depends on the supplier’s size. Ask for the document that matches the band it claims to be in.

Supplier size (ICT Code)	Evidence to expect	Check
Exempted micro-enterprise, R10m revenue or less	Sworn affidavit or CIPC-issued certificate, renewed annually	Commissioned by a commissioner of oaths; revenue and ownership stated
Qualifying small enterprise, up to R50m	Sworn affidavit or CIPC certificate if it meets the black-ownership test, otherwise a verification certificate	Which route it qualifies for, and why
Larger supplier	B-BBEE verification certificate	Issued by an accredited verification agency, measured under the ICT Code

The code treats misrepresentation seriously: it says misrepresenting an enterprise’s status can disqualify its whole scorecard, and that false affidavit claims are a criminal offence under the B-BBEE Act. Splitting a business to fit a smaller band is treated as circumvention.

A B-BBEE certificate is only worth what you checked on it. The name, the code and the expiry date take two minutes to read.

WhichVoIP editorial view

How do you check a telecoms supplier’s B-BBEE certificate?

Five checks, done at shortlist stage, before price negotiations.

Match the entityThe company name and registration number on the certificate or affidavit must match the entity on the contract and invoice. Group certificates do not automatically cover a subsidiary.

Check the codeIt should say it was measured under the ICT Sector Code. A generic-code certificate from a telecoms provider deserves a question.

Check the datesCertificates and affidavits carry an issue date and an expiry date. Diarise the expiry so you ask for the renewal before it lapses.

Check the issuerA verification certificate should come from an accredited verification agency; confirm the agency’s accreditation if you do not know it. An affidavit should be properly commissioned.

Ask about the supply chainIf the provider resells another operator’s network or platform, its own level is what counts for your contract, but ask who else is in the chain if your policy looks further.

Boardroom table with a laptop, a closed folder and a conference speakerphone — B-BBEE belongs in the shortlist checks, alongside price, contract term and support, not as an afterthought at signature.

How do public tenders score B-BBEE for telecoms?

Through the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022, which took effect on 16 January 2023.

Organs of state still score tenders on price and preference: 80/20 for most tenders and 90/10 for tenders worth more than R50 million. What changed in 2022 is that each organ of state sets its own specific goals for the preference points in its procurement policy. Many use the bidder’s B-BBEE status level as one of those goals, and the B-BBEE Act requires organs of state to apply the relevant codes of good practice.

Read the specific goals in the bid documentsThey tell you exactly what earns the preference points on that tender.

Ask bidders for evidence that matchesIf the goal is a B-BBEE level, ask for the certificate or affidavit described above.

Score price on like-for-like quotesPer-user prices, call rates, hardware and contract term itemised separately, so the 80 or 90 price points compare the same thing.

Our verdict

For corporate and public-sector buyers, a phone system supplier’s B-BBEE level is a real, measurable part of the purchase: it changes how a multi-year spend counts on your scorecard and can decide a close tender. It is also easy to get wrong by accepting a certificate without reading it. The checks take minutes; a mismatched entity or an expired certificate can cost points for years.

Our recommendation: ask every shortlisted provider for B-BBEE evidence with its quote, run the five checks above, and compare suppliers on price and terms only once the evidence holds up.

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Frequently asked questions

Which B-BBEE code applies to a VoIP or cloud PBX provider?

The Amended ICT Sector Code, gazetted on 7 November 2016, which covers information and communications technology businesses including telecommunications. A VoIP provider’s certificate or affidavit should say it was measured under the ICT Sector Code.

Can a small VoIP provider use an affidavit instead of a B-BBEE certificate?

Yes, under the Amended ICT Sector Code an exempted micro-enterprise, and a qualifying small enterprise that meets the black-ownership requirement, can confirm its status with a sworn affidavit or a CIPC-issued certificate each year. Larger suppliers need a verification certificate.

How does a supplier’s B-BBEE level affect my own scorecard?

Under the preferential procurement element, your spend with a supplier is recognised at that supplier’s procurement recognition level. A Level 1 supplier is recognised at 135% of spend and a Level 4 supplier at 100%, so the same telecoms contract can count for more or less on your scorecard.

Do public tenders for telecoms still award points for B-BBEE?

They can. Under the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022, each organ of state sets its own specific goals for the 20 or 10 preference points, and it may use the bidder’s B-BBEE status level. Check the specific goals in each tender document.

Is the ICT Sector Code changing?

It is under review. In May 2026 ISPA, the internet service providers’ association, made a submission to the ICT Sector Council proposing higher turnover thresholds and a simpler scorecard. Until an amended code is gazetted, the 2016 code applies.

Keep reading

Cloud PBX and phone systems: the complete guide Is your VoIP provider’s ICASA licence still valid?How to choose a future-ready phone system

Sources: the dtic, Amended ICT Sector Code (Gazette 40407, 7 November 2016); ISPA, Review of the B-BBEE ICT Sector Code, 20 May 2026; Bowmans on the Preferential Procurement Regulations, 2022. Verified 23 October 2026.