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How to manage the BEE scorecard and have meaningful impact on the disability landscape?

By Transcend | 2 December 2024

South Africa celebrates National Disability Rights Awareness Month (DRAM) every year from November 3.

Summary: Disability Inclusion & BEE: What to Know (TL;DR)

  • DRAM: South Africa marks National Disability Rights Awareness Month annually from 3 November.

  • BEE targets: Companies should have ≥2% of their workforce as people with disabilities (PWD); Skills Development rewards accredited PWD training/upskilling.

  • Reality check: Inclusion is lagging—survey shows a 12% rise in PWD “flight-risk” to 25% (Mar 2024); learnership dropout is high without work-readiness support.

  • Solution — Realise: A 3-month online, SETA- & QCTO-accredited programme for employees and unemployed PWD in learnerships—built to improve completion, employability, and retention.

  • Benefits: Access to 4,000+ screened PWD candidates, optimise BEE Skills Dev spend, build a talent pipeline, boost retention, and advance nation-building.

  • Next steps: Learn about Realise, equip PWD employees, integrate into your BEE strategy, and book Disability Awareness training.

Under BEE legislation, South African companies have a target for people with disabilities to make up at least 2% of their workforce. The BEE Skills Development pillar also rewards companies for investing in the training and upskilling of people with disabilities.

Yet, despite these targets and incentives on the BEE scorecard, positive change in workplace inclusion remains slow. A July survey published in Sunday Times revealed a 12% increase in the "flight-risk" score for disabled employees, reaching 25% in March 2024.

Unfortunately, without specialised work-readiness support, the dropout rate for people with disabilities in learnership programs is even higher.

Unhappy with the current impact of BEE investments, Transcend conducted over 18 months of research to address not only the challenges faced by people with disabilities but also to correct the systemic gaps that prevent real progress.

Introducing Realise

Realise is a groundbreaking, SETA- and QCTO-accredited skills program designed to support employees with disabilities and unemployed individuals with disabilities enrolled in learnerships. It’s a transformative approach that enhances success for both learners and companies, paving the way toward sustainable and meaningful employment.

The three month online accredited programme has the following benefits:

  • Access to over 4 000 screened persons living with a disability on our database
  • Optimise your BEE targets for skills development spend on PWD
  • Build a talent pipeline 
  • Contribute to nation-building through empowerment of PWD
  • Better retention of PWD candidates 

Contact us if you would like to:

  • Learn more about the REALISE programme for PWD
  • Equip your employees living with a disability to succeed in the workplace
  • Understand how to integrate these solutions into your BEE strategy
  • Book Disability Awareness training for your employees

 

FAQs

How does SETA/QCTO accreditation improve BEE recognition for disability training?

Accreditation ensures your Skills Development spend on PWD is verifiable and claimable under the BEE scorecard, aligning learning outcomes with recognised national standards and easing verification.

What KPIs should we track to reduce PWD “flight-risk” and prove impact?

Monitor PWD retention, learnership completion rate, time-to-productivity, internal mobility, manager check-in compliance, and % PWD of total workforce versus the 2% target, alongside Skills Development spend vs target.

How does the Realise talent pool of 4,000+ candidates translate into hires?

It enables role-matched shortlists of screened PWD, speeds time-to-hire, and supports pipeline planning (intern → learner → permanent), while the programme’s work-readiness focus improves onboarding success.

What practical steps cut disability learnership dropout?

Pair accredited coursework with work-readiness coaching, assign a workplace mentor, provide accessible materials/scheduling, and set clear payout/assessment timelines—the Realise model is designed around these supports.

How do we embed disability inclusion into our BEE strategy beyond compliance?

Create a multi-year plan that aligns recruitment, Skills Development, and retention for PWD; use Realise for readiness, add Disability Awareness training for teams, and review metrics quarterly to sustain momentum and close gaps to the 2% threshold.

 

 
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