We have only just begun the third month of 2024 and yet what a busy year it has been; from increases to renewals and a draft thrown in for good measure 😉 – here is a summarised look at what has transpired thus far:

• EE News: Employment and Labour Minister TW Nxesi introduced new draft regulations in Feb 2024, addressing sectoral numerical targets (Click here to see our newsletter on this topic) Comments are due by the second of May 2024.

• Minimum Wage Increase: Effective from the first of March, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) for each ordinary hour worked will increase to R27.58. There are some exceptions, so please click here for more information on this.

• Renewal to the Section 12H Tax Incentive: The recent Budget Speech confirmed that the Section 12(H) Learnership Tax Incentive has once again been extended, this time by three years, until the thirty first of March 2027. Want this benefit for your company? Then call us now on 011 483 1190 and speak to us about our Learnership offerings that provide a range of benefits, are aligned to skills development and include various B-BBEE advantages for companies!

What has the next few months got in store for us?

Well, it’s anyone’s guess 😉 Seriously though, we have heard rumblings about QCTO and Transport Sector Codes and so both will be discussed in more detail in future newsletters:

• QCTO: According to recent reports, the last date of registration for all ‘historical’ (read not-QCTO) qualifications is the thirtieth of June 2023, with a phase-out period of one year for learners to still enrol up to and including the thirtieth of June 2024. Providers offering learnerships, and other skills development programmes, need to ensure accreditation so that they can move over to the QCTO framework ASAP. This is especially important for companies that rely on both of above for B-BBEE level points.

• Transport sector codes: Expected to be gazetted around March 2024, the Transport Sector Charter (TSC) is set for some big amendments. And, unlike previous other sector and other Code amendments, the TSC has not provided a “grace period” for transitioning. This is very concerning as this may result in some companies obtaining unfavourable B-BBEE status due to the lack of additional planning time.

As the industry awaits clarity on above, one thing is clear: Adaptation will be crucial for success in the evolving regulatory landscape. Stay tuned for updates as we decipher the implications together.

Last but not least . . . we want to end off this newsletter discussing our new look at Training and Workshops!

We are ramping up our webinar offerings and workshops, and will be providing more information on this soon.

In the meantime, book your space now for our not-to-be-missed Skills Development submissions workshops in March and early April!