Microsoft half-billion rand BEE deal

Well done to Microsoft for not going the normal BEE route – far better to commit to develop local businesses into international brands. This will build wealth rather than just transfer it.
 
black-owned software development companies
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So it's still window dressing. How many of the developers working for those companies are black?
 
Didn't realise MS SA was that big. Too bad the article doesn't say what % is involved... Anyone know what their market cap here is?
 
kwaggawerner said:
+1... I have yet to see a single black developer... who is actually worth something...
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Maybe you should expand your horizon. Just in my immediate vicinity I know a couple.

I think what MS is doing is quite a good thing, people always blame government, but business is not doing much either. And the only other people I know that is doing something is the JCSE and their partners, albeit on a smaller scale. Who else (out of a business perspective) is helping out at this level?
 
You do all know that this isn't going to work rite? All of this money will mysteriously disappear. Im just saying. All black owned software dev. companies weren't started by black entrepreneur. The were given to randoms by government... If this money was to be given to an actual entrepreneur he would use it to make his business grow and to create more jobs and better the country. Not that any of this matters with the direction that our country is currently heading in.

If you reply to my post thats fine But I wont be replying in return as the truth is not up for debate :D
 
R13... said:
Didn't realise MS SA was that big. Too bad the article doesn't say what % is involved... Anyone know what their market cap here is?
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It's ~$70 million, which is pocket change to them.

Also remember that with MS it is not always quite so clearcut. My guess is that all these companies would be given discounts on MS products. They usually pull this stunt to hook people onto using their products (as they would rather not have people start with their competitors from the beginning, because then it would be harder to convert them to MS). Then once they grow beyond a certain point, they would be expected to pay the full license fees for all products in use, and that's where MS recovers their investment along with a healthy profit.
 
murraybiscuit said:
interesting. so what's in it for them?
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As they are not allowed to sell equity in the local operations, they seem to have gone for increased spend on other elements of BBBEE. Interesting that they chose Entreprise Development and not Skills development like HP did not so long ago. Microsoft has a huge task on its hands in getting further public sector business becuase of the whole OSS initiative, so they need initiatives such as these to remain an attractive option for their customers.
 
ponder said:
So it's still window dressing. How many of the developers working for those companies are black?
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+1

Exactly, white developers behind black-owners. a Great sample of this is GijimaAST. Even the MicrosoftSA CEO is a black token, but the brains behind it are all white and maybe a few indians. There are just too few black scholars coming through the system with maths and science to develop into software engineers, a lot of them might become techies, but very little have the ability to be good lateral thinking programmers.
 
Only the CEO and his thieving partners are BLACK the brains is supplied by White Developers Micro soft will soon find out that it was all a waste of money." What Fools" Support Linux.
 
Star reports this as 492 Billion rand... I think they typoed, but can we get a source ?
 
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