THE BEE CONCEPT IN THE PUBLIC PROCUREMENT SYSTEM: THE PERSPECTIVE OF CONSTRUCTION PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

South Africa's government introduced the BEE policy to help disadvantaged individuals participate in economic activities. This study examined the perceptions of construction professionals concerning the BEE policy. The study adopted a qualitative research approach. As a result of COVID-19 restrictions, the interview questions were emailed to 35 black construction professionals randomly selected, of which 20 were received. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings show that although participants believed the policy had achieved some success since its implementation, there are still challenges hindering the attainment of the project objectives. Some of the positive aspects of the policy are that it has helped previously disadvantaged individuals, increased opportunity for local companies and improved fairness in the procurement systems. The challenges of the policy were identified as restricting the participation of experienced and foreign construction firms in the public procurement process. Again, the policy must be strictly enforced to sustain and achieve the desired outcome. The government must ensure strict adherence to the policy implementation to benefit the intended people to realize the policy objectives. Measures should be put in place to ensure the sustainability of the policy. The study reveals the perceptions of the policy beneficiaries in the construction sector, which may guide the policy implementers on areas of improvement to achieve the policy objectives.