Value-added ICT distributor Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan Africa has achieved a Level 1 B-BBEE (broad based black economic empowerment) rating in SA, moving from level three to level one in just under two years.

The company, which is now 51% black-owned, with more than 30% black woman ownership, says commitment to development, diversity and equity representation has paved the way for this milestone.

Rakesh Parbhoo, CEO at Westcon-Comstor Sub-Saharan Africa, says this rating is more than a certification; it's also recognition of the investment the company has made in its people and the upliftment programmes and initiatives it has deployed and developed across all pillars of the B-BBEE codes.

"Ensuring compliance through the programmes we have developed is not just a tick box for Westcon-Comstor; it has become central to our business DNA and we are committed to continuous improvement through transformation," says Parbhoo.

"Outside of our shareholding, we have created jobs and learnerships, and provided opportunities for smaller companies to provide services to us with a focus on the development of SMME partners to execute in the IT market."

Parbhoo adds that Westcon-Comstor's Level 1 B-BBEE certification provides customers a way to increase their own ratings by recognising spend with the distributor in their scorecards. As for vendors, there are no roadblocks in taking their products to market through the distributor.