MAZIV achieves Level 1 B-BBEE status by doubling down

MAZIV has announced that it has achieved Level 1 Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) status through supporting empowerment initiatives and skills development.

MAZIV – which owns Vumatel (Vuma), Dark Fibre Africa (DFA), SADV and Rise Telecoms – stands as the third-largest telecommunications company in South Africa based on market capitalization.

However, it is not all about telecommunications for MAZIV. The organisation’s true impact lies in its contribution to economic growth, social change and job creation which goes beyond what it enables through connectivity.

“Diversity, equality, and inclusivity are significant bottom-line drivers for MAZIV,”

says Dietlof Mare, Chief Executive Officer at MAZIV.

“Without diversity, companies cannot innovate. We need to embrace different perspectives to better serve our customers, who come from all walks of life. This is reflected in the diverse, purpose-driven team at the core of our business, committed to our vision of customer-centricity.”

The group is actively working towards creating a more inclusive and sustainable business environment for all stakeholders involved by prioritising partnerships with black-owned suppliers and investing in enterprise and supplier development (ESD) initiatives.

During the last financial year, MAZIV invested R1.45 billion in black-owned suppliers (with a minimum of 51% black ownership) and R1.8 billion in black women-owned suppliers (with a minimum 30% of black women-ownership) in its procurement portfolio.

MAZIV has also invested over R82 million in ESD initiatives. The group itself is 37.71% black-owned with 18.68% black women ownership, and 47% of its suppliers are black-owned.

“We understand that our business offers access to markets which enable growth for our suppliers. This ripple effect will boost ability to create jobs, contributing to the country’s overall economic development,”

said Mare.

MAZIV is also passionate about supporting the youth and supports the Youth Employment Service (YES) initiative, spearheaded by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The programme’s goal is to address the critical issue of youth unemployment by creating one million work opportunities for South Africans aged 18 to 35, over a period of five years.

Not only does it facilitate job creation, but it also focuses on skills development through training and mentorship, empowering young individuals to increase their employability, aligning with MAZIV’s passion for youth-focused training programmes and increasing the skilled workforce in the telecommunications sector.  

“Through various initiatives, including the YES programme, we have employed 104 previously unemployed young South Africans and invested over R16.5 million in empowering our staff, with R12.4 million specifically allocated to uplifting black South Africans through training black youth. We also provide connectivity to over 780 schools to an annual value of more than R13 million,”

added Mare.

Diversity is critical to the telco’s recruitment and succession planning, ensuring strong leadership for years to come.

“We have launched a future leadership programme to equip 80 young employees for corporate leadership and executive management. Through individual mentorship, we aim to build strong leadership, with an emphasis on black female leaders,”

Mare explained.

“We owe it to the communities that we serve to create opportunities for all South Africans at every level within our group. Our highest purpose will be employing more people from the communities we serve so they can ultimately lead our group in the future.”

MAZIV recently launched Vuma Key, South Africa’s most affordable uncapped fibre package at R99 per month. This launch further underpins the group’s commitment to bringing data in abundance and economic opportunities to underserved communities.