If a customer has ever asked for your B-BBEE certificate, you may have panicked — thinking it means expensive verification. For most small businesses, it doesn't. A free affidavit is usually all you need. Here's how it works.
Why B-BBEE matters for small business
Bigger companies and government buyers score points for buying from B-BBEE-compliant suppliers, so they'll often ask you for your B-BBEE status. Having it ready can win you work; not having it can lose it.
EME — the easy category
An Exempt Micro Enterprise (EME) is any business with annual turnover under R10 million. EMEs are treated generously:
- Automatically Level 4
- Level 2 if 51%+ black-owned
- Level 1 if 100% black-owned
Best of all, an EME doesn't need a verification certificate — just a sworn affidavit confirming its turnover and black ownership.
QSE — the middle category
A Qualifying Small Enterprise (QSE) has turnover between R10 million and R50 million. If a QSE is 51%+ black-owned, it can also use an affidavit to claim Level 2 (or Level 1 at 100%). Otherwise, a QSE is measured on the QSE scorecard.
Above R50 million
Businesses with turnover over R50 million are "generic" enterprises and must be verified on the full B-BBEE scorecard by an accredited agency.
Check your category and likely level with our B-BBEE level checker.
How to get your affidavit (for free)
1. Complete the standard EME or QSE affidavit (available from CIPC / the dtic). 2. Fill in your turnover and black-ownership percentage. 3. Have it commissioned (sworn) by a commissioner of oaths — at a police station or bank — at no cost.
That's it — no verification agency, no fee. Renew it once a year or whenever your turnover or ownership changes.
Keep your turnover figure handy
Your B-BBEE category hinges on turnover — the same figure that drives your VAT registration and tax. 360books tracks your turnover in real time, so you always know which thresholds you're near.