There are different levels of BEE certificates that you are able to get for your business ranging from level 8 to level 1. The level that you are given on your BEE certificate will depend on the contributions that you have made according to the BEE Act.

The advantage of having a high level BEE Certificate is that your business would be able to claim more BEE points. This becomes important when you are dealing with the government and large companies and corporations where your BEE score will be important to them prior to purchasing or awarding a contract to your business.

When choosing which supplier to use the company or government organizations are very likely to look at price, quality, and service delivery in the past and importantly at your BEE score. When the buyer sees BEE score as an important factor when it comes to choosing a supplier, as it is with many large corporate and government, your BEE score as per your BEE certificate could see you win or lose a large contract.

In essence BEE is something along the lines of a ‘buyer’s club’. By having a BEE certificate your customers can claim BEE points by buying from you and in turn their score can increase which has advantages for your business and theirs.

The BEE Act allows for the existence of the BEE ‘Codes of Good Practice’ which provide the structures for the Scorecards and certain rules associated with claiming BEE points.