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BBBEE skills development is the scorecard element that rewards your business for training black South African employees and the unemployed. To score full points, a Generic Enterprise must spend 6% of its leviable amount on qualifying training each year. Get it right and you lift your B-BBEE level while building a stronger team.
Skills development is one of the highest-leverage priorities on the B-BBEE scorecard. Unlike ownership, it sits largely within your control: you decide how much to invest in training, who you develop, and which programmes you run. This guide expands our original overview with everything HR, L&D and business owners need — the points, the qualifying spend, the rules for smaller companies, and how enterprise and supplier development fit in. For practical, facilitator-led training that earns points, request a quote or a 15-minute callback.
Note: This page is general guidance to help you plan, not legal, tax or B-BBEE advice. Always confirm your scorecard with a SANAS-accredited verification agency before submitting.
BBBEE Skills Development: Complete Guide (2026)
The current generic B-BBEE scorecard has five elements. Skills development is one of them, and it is a priority element — fall below the 40% sub-minimum on it and your overall level is discounted by one level, regardless of how well you score elsewhere.
Our original page set out the broader empowerment picture, including the underlying scoring weightings for ownership (23 points incl. bonus), management control (11 incl. bonus), and employment equity (18 incl. bonus). Skills development carries a meaningful weighting in its own right, made up of core points for measured training spend plus bonus points for learner absorption (covered below). Those numbers still stand. What changed for most employers is how you earn the points: through measured, verifiable training spend on the right categories of beneficiary.
Why it matters beyond compliance:
- Tender and procurement access. A stronger B-BBEE level supports your participation in public and corporate supply chains. (Note: under the PPPFA 2022 regulations, preference points are awarded for “specific goals” such as Historically Disadvantaged Individual ownership, gender and disability, and RDP objectives — not the generic B-BBEE level itself — on the 80/20 basis for tenders of R30,000–R50m and 90/10 above R50m. The Public Procurement Act 28 of 2024 also enables set-asides.)
- Customer scorecards. Many large clients buy from you partly to improve their own preferential procurement score, so your level is a commercial asset.
- A skilled workforce. The training is real. Done well, it reduces hiring costs, improves retention and builds internal capability.
The Skills Development Levy (SDL) you already pay — 1% of payroll — is the bridge. Levy-paying employers can recover a portion through SETA grants when they submit a Workplace Skills Plan (WSP) and Annual Training Report (ATR), which means your B-BBEE training spend can be partly funded.
Free lead magnet: Download our Training Needs Analysis (TNA) template to map skills gaps before you commit spend — it doubles as evidence for your WSP and your B-BBEE file.
BBBEE Skills Development Scorecard & Points
The skills development scorecard converts your training effort into points across a few measurement categories. The principles are consistent for a Generic (large) enterprise:
| What is measured | What it rewards |
|---|---|
| Skills development spend on black employees | Qualifying training expenditure as a percentage of the leviable amount |
| Spend on black people with disabilities | A ring-fenced portion of qualifying spend for black disabled employees |
| Learnerships, apprenticeships & internships (headcount) | Black learners enrolled as a percentage of total employees |
| Bonus: absorption | Black learners absorbed into permanent employment, or made employable, after the programme |
The headline target: a Generic enterprise aims to spend 6% of its leviable amount on qualifying skills development for black employees to earn the full core points. The leviable amount is broadly your total payroll as used for SDL purposes (with the statutory exclusions) — it is not simply 6% of total payroll, and it is a different figure from the 1% SDL itself.
The absorption bonus. As our original guidance explained, “Bonus points can give your BBBEE score a significant boost” — you earn these by absorbing black learners from sponsored learnerships into permanent positions, or by making them employable. This is one of the easiest ways to add points if you already run learnerships.
The sub-minimum trap. Because skills development is a priority element, you must achieve at least 40% of the available points to avoid the one-level discount. Treat the 6% target as a planning anchor, not a stretch goal.
To build a points-earning training calendar, browse our corporate courses or ask us to design an in-house programme aligned to your scorecard.
What Training Spend Qualifies for BBBEE?
Not every cost you call “training” counts. To recognise bbbee skills development spend, expenditure generally needs to be on training that develops the competencies of your black employees and certain unemployed black people, and it must be properly documented.
Typically qualifying spend includes:
- Accredited and non-accredited training that meets the Skills Development Act definition of a learning programme (courses, learnerships, apprenticeships, internships, workshops, e-learning).
- Course fees, registration and accommodation/travel directly tied to the training.
- A capped portion of the salaries/wages of employees while attending training, and of mandatory induction (legitimate training time).
- Programmes for the unemployed (learnerships and internships for black people who are not your employees), which also support the learner-headcount and absorption categories.
- Training of black people with disabilities (with a portion ring-fenced specifically for this group).
Commonly does NOT qualify (or is restricted):
- Training that is not on your WSP/ATR or lacks proper records (attendance registers, certificates, invoices, proof of payment).
- The SDL payment itself, and the full salary cost beyond the allowed cap.
- Training of non-black employees (it builds capability but does not earn these points).
Evidence is everything. Verification agencies want a clean paper trail: signed registers, provider details, invoices, and your WSP/ATR submission. BOTI provides the documentation you need to support your B-BBEE file. See our related guidance on employment equity fundamentals for how these elements interlock.
BBBEE Skills Development for EME & QSE Companies
Smaller businesses are treated more leniently — this is where bbbee skills development for qse rules matter.
EME — Exempted Micro Enterprise (annual turnover below R10 million):
- Automatically qualifies as B-BBEE compliant and is exempt from the full scorecard.
- An EME proves status with a sworn affidavit confirming turnover and black ownership — no verification certificate or skills development spend is required.
- A 100% black-owned EME is Level 1; at least 51% black-owned is Level 2.
QSE — Qualifying Small Enterprise (turnover R10 million to R50 million):
- A QSE that is at least 51% black-owned can also use a sworn affidavit and is treated favourably (Level 2 or better depending on ownership), without measuring skills development.
- A QSE below 51% black ownership is measured on the QSE scorecard, which does include skills development — typically with a lower required spend percentage and headcount targets than the Generic 6% target, and skills development is not a priority element for QSEs in the same way.
The practical takeaway: if you are an EME or a 51%+ black-owned QSE, you generally do not need skills development spend for your level — but investing in training still builds your team and can support customers’ procurement scorecards. If you are a measured QSE or a Generic enterprise, skills development is one of the most controllable ways to move up. Not sure which category you fall in? Request a 15-minute callback and we’ll help you map it.
Enterprise and Supplier Development Explained
Enterprise development BBBEE and supplier development are separate scorecard elements from skills development, but they often work hand-in-hand with training — and they reward you for helping other black-owned businesses grow.
- Enterprise Development (ED): contributions (monetary or non-monetary) to qualifying black-owned beneficiary businesses that are not part of your supply chain. Mentoring, grants, interest-free loans, discounted services and — importantly — free or subsidised training for those businesses can count.
- Supplier Development (SD): the same idea, but the beneficiary is a supplier in your value chain. This deepens your supply security while earning points.
- Together with preferential procurement, ED and SD form the enterprise and supplier development pillar — another priority element with its own 40% sub-minimum.
Where training meets ED/SD: sponsoring training for a black-owned supplier or beneficiary business can simultaneously strengthen that partner and support your ED/SD recognition. BOTI delivers these programmes on-site, in-house or remotely across JHB, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria, so you can extend development to partners anywhere in the country.
To design a combined skills development and enterprise/supplier development plan, request a quote and our consultants will scope it around your scorecard.
How BOTI Helps You Earn Skills Development Points
BOTI is a South African corporate training provider with 450+ courses and clients including Sasol, Glencore and the City of Johannesburg. We help you turn training budget into scorecard points and real capability:
- Facilitator-led delivery with the certificates of completion and records your verification agency requires.
- In-house, on-site and remote options across JHB, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria and nationwide.
- WSP/ATR-friendly documentation so your skills development spend is recognised and partly recoverable through SETA grants.
- Learnerships and absorption planning to capture bonus points.
Need accredited qualifications in the mix? BOTI is an accredited training provider — Services SETA 12582, MICT SETA ACC/2016/07/0045, and a QCTO Quality Partner — so ask about our QCTO/SETA-accredited programmes (for example occupational qualifications and unit-standard qualifications in office administration, management and business administration) when you plan your spend.
Explore the Employment Equity Fundamentals Training Course, the Black Economic Empowerment Fundamentals Training Course, or the full course catalogue.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the BBBEE skills development target?
A Generic (large) enterprise aims to spend 6% of its leviable amount on qualifying skills development for black employees to earn the full core points. Skills development is a priority element, so you must also meet the 40% sub-minimum to avoid a one-level discount.
Is BBBEE skills development spend the same as the Skills Development Levy?
No. The Skills Development Levy is 1% of payroll, paid to SARS. BBBEE skills development spend is the 6%-of-leviable-amount training investment measured on your scorecard. The two are linked — submitting a WSP/ATR lets you recover part of your SDL through SETA grants — but they are different figures.
What training spend qualifies for BBBEE points?
Generally, documented training that develops black employees or qualifying unemployed black people: course fees, learnerships, apprenticeships, internships, a capped portion of salaries during training, and programmes for people with disabilities. You need registers, certificates, invoices and a WSP/ATR. The SDL payment itself and training of non-black staff do not earn these points.
Do EME and QSE companies need skills development spend?
EMEs (turnover under R10m) are exempt and prove status with a sworn affidavit — no skills spend required. A 51%+ black-owned QSE can also use an affidavit. A QSE below 51% black ownership is measured on the QSE scorecard, which includes skills development with lower targets than the Generic 6%.
How is enterprise development different from skills development?
Skills development trains your own employees. Enterprise development supports separate black-owned businesses (outside your supply chain) through contributions such as grants, mentoring or subsidised training. Supplier development does the same for businesses inside your value chain. They are separate, priority-weighted elements.
Request a Quote or 15-Minute Callback
Ready to turn your training budget into B-BBEE points and a stronger team? BOTI designs scorecard-aligned skills development programmes for your staff — in-house, on-site or remote.
Request a quote / book a 15-minute callback or call 011-882-8853. Ask us for our free TNA template and Skills Audit checklist to plan your qualifying spend.
Ready to turn skills spend into B-BBEE scorecard points? Explore BOTI’s SETA-accredited courses & learnerships or request a tailored training proposal — rated 4.8 from 652 Google reviews.