A new directory of 100% black-owned South African businesses, dubbed the ‘Black Pages', was unveiled on Friday by Shanduka Group executive chairperson Cyril Ramaphosa.

The publication was an initiative undertaken by Shanduka Black Umbrellas, an incubation and mentoring initiative for black-owned small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs).

The inaugural issue of Black Pages showcases more than 1 000 black-owned businesses from all nine provinces and aims to become the procurement practioner's definitive directory for sourcing 100% black-owned enterprises.

The directory features all the SMMEs that are part of the Shanduka Black Umbrellas programme in Gauteng and the Western Cape which have undergone a rigorous assessment process prior to inclusion in the programme.

It also carries other black-owned businesses from around the country.

"While this initiative is a specific intervention for SMMEs, it will ultimately create jobs as the SMMEs become more successful and employ more people. It is my hope that Black Pages will play a part in addressing South Africa's high rate of unemployment," Ramaphosa said.

One of the key intentions of the Department of Trade and Industry's Codes of Good Practice is to promote the use of black-owned professional service providers and entrepreneurs as suppliers. Under the Preferential Procurement pillar, companies can receive 20 points for procuring from qualifying black-owned SMMEs.

"In addition, by using businesses in Black Pages, companies can obtain the difficult eight of the 20 points that are available by procuring from qualifying small enterprises and exempted microenterprises that are 50% black owned and 30% black-women owned," Shanduka Black Umbrellas chairperson Yvonne Themba said.