The consulting firm founded in August 2008, grew its business by adding significant value to blue chip clients, in the customary values-driven Stone way. The healthy growth in turnover beyond the exemption threshold prepared and required Stone to undergo a SANAS accredited BB-BEE audit in compliance with business standards. "We are extremely proud of our BB-BEE accreditation," says Stone founder and CEO, Willem Eksteen.

"We are committed to transformation and adding value beyond our own bottom-line - contributing tothe development of our team, the industry and South Africa at large.This recent professional achievement is only a confirmation of the values we hold dear as a business, and will direct our future as a significant contributor to the communication and strategy consulting industries in South Africa," adds Eksteen.

The DTI Codes of Good Practice contains frameworks for determining BB-BEE credentials, including the generic scorecard, SANAS guidelines and BEE agencies. It aims to ensure that empowerment not only benefits the black elite but also women, workers, the youth, people with disabilities and the rural poor.

Stone is involved in several CSI, skills development and enterprisedevelopment initiatives that form a cornerstone of the way the company does business and played a critical part in its BB-BEE scoring. In the recently completed SANAS accredited BB-BEE audit Stone scored a full 100% contribution, significantly exceeding the required full scores for the chosen audit categoriesof enterprise development, skills development, preferential procurement and employment equity categories.

"Skills development and training is a priority at Stone and we invest significantly in the training of our people as well as enhancing the standard of the industry we operate in through initiatives like the Monash Business Communication Initiative and the Circle of Stones. In line with the values of Stone, we contribute to initiatives on a pro bono basis where we believe we can add value beyond our own business or bottom-line. Enterprise development in our own and other industries is a priority and a prime example is ouractive involvement in the rapidly growing Book-a-Guesthouse programme," says Eksteen.

The Book-a-Guesthouse programmeis a tourismenterprise development initiativeled by Southern Sun and Stone is a very active and proud partner of the programme. The programme is a national flagship tourism enterprise development programme thatconcentrates on the empowerment of black and predominantly female guesthouse entrepreneurs. Most members of the initiative are based in townships and the Book-a-Guesthouse programme supports the development of their sustainable entrepreneurial tourism businesses. There are more than sixty independently owned and operated bed & breakfast andguesthouse establishments in the programme, located in four provinces in South Africa (Gauteng; Limpopo; KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

MatifadzaNyazema, the executive director of the Sandton Convention Centre and convenor of the Southern Sun Book-a-Guesthouse initiative, says: "The Southern Sun Book-a-Guesthouse initiative is a programme where meaningful training and support is provided to emerging black tourism entrepreneurs (mostly female) to develop and manage sustainable guesthouse businesses. Stone has been a founder member of the initiative and continues to be a key contributor to the programme".

Stone contributes to the project through consulting time on a pro bono basis, includingdevelopment and updating of the strategy for the Book-a-Guesthouseprogramme, strategic counsel, on-going marketing and reputation counsel, trainingand content development of the annual Book-a-Guesthouse conference.

In addition to the Book-a-Guesthouse programme Stone is also involved with M.E.S, an organisation that focuses on development of the poor and those in need in the metropolitan cities of South Africa. The company also supports an affirmative action policy.

"Our business was founded on the principle of adding value to our clients, and society as a whole. Stone'sLevel One BB-BEE accreditation will stand us in good stead to continue to live this philosophy with all the client work we undertake," Eksteen concludes. 

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For more information or interview requests please contact:

Nicola Theunissen, nicola@stoneconsult.net, 011 447 0168 or 082 451 9767