BUSINESS UNITY SOUTH AFRICA

BUSA is a non-profit company, representing organised business in South Africa. BUSA consists of 36 organisational members representing the following membership categories: unisectoral organisations, corporate representative organisations, chambers of commerce and industry and professional organisations. There is a closed group of 23 corporate members that constitutes a Board of Trustees. BUSA was formed in 2003 as the apex body representing organised business in South Africa. The vision was to unite organised business and build upon the instrumental role played by certain business in the peaceful transition to democracy. At the time, it joined together the former Business South Africa, that was representative of established business organisations and organisations representing black business interests. In 2013, however, the BMF and a number of professional organisations exited BUSA and joined together to form the Black Business Council (BBC). BUSA is the formally recognised representative of business at the National Economic Development and Labour Advisory Council (NEDLAC). BUSA members represent business on a variety of statutory bodies and advisory councils. Together with the BBC, BUSA represents business on the Presidential Business Working Group. BUSA and many of its members are represented on the CEO Initiative Steering Committee. BUSA is affiliated with the SADC Private Sector Forum, the BRICS Council, Business Africa, and the International Organisation of Employers (IOE) as well as playing a role in the B20. BUSA does and has the opportunity to cement its role as the leading apex body in South Africa speaking for and behalf of business. There is some confusion as to which body represents all of business. The need to address this extends to explicit co-operation with members of BUSA such as SACCI and BLSA, as well as addressing some of the confusion externally as to the role of the CEO initiative and the BBC. 

Careful consideration must to be given as to how to leverage BUSA as the representative voice of business in South Africa and internationally. The strategy considers how to focus and resource BUSA to play this significant role. BUSA is primarily funded by membership fees. It further receives research funding and technical advice from a number of sources. The key sources being: International Labour Organisation; Employment Promotion Project; Business Leadership South Africa; and Constituency Capacity Funding for Nedlac and the National Skills Fund.