Be a customer.
Look for a Black-owned business when you need something done. Support good work with repeat business, honest feedback and a recommendation.
Pledge your supportA movement for Black business growth
More business.
More ownership.
A fairer future.
South Africa has no shortage of Black talent, skill or ambition. Too many business owners are still shut out of the customers and networks that help businesses grow. We are here to open those doors.
The directory is coming. The work starts with us.
The power of a customer
Your next purchase.
Someone’s next possibility.
- 01 Give a Black-owned business a chance.
- 02 Expect good work. Give honest feedback.
- 03 Recommend it. Come back. Help it grow.
A referral may take you a minute.
For a business owner, it can change the month.
Customers, not just clicksQuality with accountabilityProsperity worth sharing
Why BlackPages exists
Freedom should reach
the balance sheet.
More than three decades after democracy, the consequences of apartheid still shape who owns, who gets funded and who gets the first call. Racism and closed networks continue to shut people out. We cannot accept that as our future.
B-BBEE matters. But a scorecard cannot place every order, make every introduction or keep every small business going. Government tenders cannot carry the whole task either.
We have power as customers, colleagues, neighbours and business owners. BlackPages exists to help us use it.
There is a place for you here
Three ways to open a door.
Everyone who shares the purpose is welcome. Start with what you can do.
Grow your business.
You bring the skill and the commitment. We are building a directory to help customers find you, with enquiries and leads that can become lasting relationships.
Register your interestBe a partner.
Open your supplier network. Share expertise. Make a useful introduction. Build fair commercial partnerships that help more businesses reach new markets.
Start a conversationOur directory is for businesses with at least 51% Black ownership. Other businesses, including white-owned businesses, can contribute through our separate partnership programme. A stronger Black economy creates room for more people to prosper.
The founding supporter pledge
Put your name
behind a better future.
I choose to help build a fairer South African economy. I will make a deliberate effort to buy from Black-owned businesses because historic exclusion still shapes who gets an opportunity today. I will recommend good work, give honest feedback and treat business owners and their teams fairly. I will use my spending and my networks to help more people succeed.
This is a commitment to deliberate support, honest feedback and shared progress. Email and WhatsApp updates are your choice.
Pledge recorded
You are part of this.
Thank you. Start with one introduction, one recommendation or one purchase. Small decisions become something bigger when we make them together.
Already signed up? Add your pledge securely.
The case for change
A country of talent.
Unequal access to opportunity.
81.4%
of South Africans are Black African
Census 2022 records the white population at 7.3%. These are population categories, not measures of business ownership.
Source: Stats SA · Census 2022 ↗21.1%
of reported top management is African
The 2026 CEE report records white representation at 57.1%. It covers reporting employers, using the 2025 reporting cycle—not ownership of the whole economy.
Source: 26th CEE report · 2026 ↗72%
of individually owned farmland was white-owned
The 2017 Land Audit covers farms and agricultural holdings owned by individuals. This is historical data, not a current measure of all land.
Source: Land Audit · 2017 ↗In our eligibility policy, “Black” uses the B-BBEE meaning covering qualifying African, Coloured and Indian South Africans. Statistical sources may use narrower categories; we label them as reported.
Support comes with responsibility
Good work.
Honest dealings.
A willingness to put it right.
We will work to bring businesses customers. Participating owners commit to clear quotes, reliable communication, honouring agreements and acting on complaints and suggestions.
The directory will include feedback and a resolution process. Ownership checks will be described clearly. A listing will never be sold as a guarantee of workmanship.
Our founders’ undertaking
We undertake to close BlackPages when sustained progress has narrowed the disparities we exist to address to acceptable, population-informed ranges. We will publish measurable benchmarks and an independent review process before putting this commitment into operation, and honour our obligations to members.
Shared worker ownership is an ambition we are developing. It is not our current ownership structure.
One purpose. Three connected services.
From a name in a directory
to a place in your network.
In development
The directory
Discover qualifying Black-owned businesses by service and location. Compare useful profiles and make contact.
In development
The lead service
Tell us what you need. Get connected to relevant businesses that can discuss the work with you.
In development
The community
BlackPages Social, planned on VulaSocial’s federated software, will give recommendations and relationships a place to grow.
A few fair questions.
Is everyone welcome to support BlackPages?
Yes. Customers and supporters of every background are welcome. Our directory focuses on businesses with at least 51% qualifying Black ownership because that is the gap we are working to close.
Can white-owned businesses participate?
Yes, through our separate partnership programme: fair supplier opportunities, skills exchange, introductions and access to networks. Partnership does not confer Black-owned listing status or B-BBEE certification.
Will supporting Black businesses mean accepting poor service?
You deserve good service. Our business charter asks owners to quote honestly, communicate clearly and make a genuine effort to resolve problems. Support and accountability belong together.
What will a listing cost?
We are provisionally planning a free listing, Standard at R150 per month and Premium at R500 per month. The paid lead service is planned at R5 per delivered lead, charged separately from a prepaid wallet. Final benefits and terms will be confirmed before sales open.
What happens after I sign up?
We record your pledge and give you a personal invite link. You receive email or WhatsApp updates only if you choose those options. The directory and social community are still in development.
Let’s build something useful
Have a business?
A network?
An idea worth sharing?
Tell us how you would like to take part. We welcome business enquiries, practical partnership offers and questions about the service.