Supported Employment Enterprises
| State-owned | |
| ISIN | 🆔 |
| Industry | Textile and Furniture Manufacturing |
| Founded 📆 | 1943 |
| Founder 👔 | |
Area served 🗺️ | |
Key people | Donald Nkadimeng (CEO) |
| Owner | Government of South Africa |
| Members | |
Number of employees | |
| Parent | Department of Employment and Labour |
| 🌐 Website | see.labour.gov.za |
| 📇 Address | |
| 📞 telephone | |
The Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE) is an entity of the Department of Employment and Labour reporting under the Public Employment Services branch.[1]. The entity was established with the mandate to create employment for persons with disabilities who could not secure employment in the open labour market as a result of their disabilities[2]
SEE operates 13 factories across 8 of South Africa's 9 provinces[3]. Across these factories, SEE employs over 1,000 people with disabilities. With adequate support through sales contracts, the factories have the potential to expand, creating employment opportunities for an additional 2,000 individuals with disabilities[4].
The entity operates under the management of the Department of Employment and Labour[5], with the CEO, the executive, administrative and technical staff being seconded from the department. The entity funds its operations from revenue generated from sales and allocations from the National Treasury[6]. The facilities where the entity's production workshops are operated are leased from the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) and they have been fitted with modern production equipment and CNC machinery that enables the entity to compete on quality in the market.
Legal Identity and Legislative Mandate
The Employment Services Act 4 of 2014[7] established the entity as the Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE) to promote work and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
History
The entity was established in 1943 as the Sheltered Employment Schemes to provide work to ex-service man and women after the Second World War.[7] The Sheltered Employment Schemes were established through a cabinet memorandum as Sheltered Employment Factories (SEF). At this time there were 14 Sheltered Employment Factories, who employed only the white segment of the South African population. The factories enjoyed preferential procurement status, which compelled all government departments to buy their school furniture and linen from the SEFs. This resulted in factories employing around 3000 people with disabilities across the 14 factories.
In 1983, the sheltered employment schemes expanded to include civilians, as the focus on exclusively employing ex-servicemen was no longer needed. However, due to government policies at the time, these factories continued to operate as enclaves for the white population. This had a significant impact on the factory locations and the communities they recruited from. At that time, the factories were managed under the South African National Department of Defence, which benefited the schemes by giving it priority access to certain procurement opportunities for goods and services needed by the department.
Following South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994[8], the Sheltered Employment Schemes were transferred from the Department of Defence to the newly established Department of Labour. This shift marked a significant change, as the schemes were rebranded as the Sheltered Employment Factories (SEF) and began to receive a dedicated allocation from Parliament to support their operations. This funding allowed the SEF to continue its mission of providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, enhancing the organisation's capacity to offer stable, dignified work environments. The move also underscored the government's commitment to social inclusion and job creation for marginalised communities in the post-apartheid era, reflecting broader changes in South Africa's approach to labour and social services.
In 2014, the Sheltered Employment Factories reached an important milestone when the Minister of Labour approved a comprehensive turnaround strategy. This strategy aimed to restructure the organisation and, for the first time, grant it formal legal status. As part of this initiative, the factories were rebranded as Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE)[7], a change that reflected a renewed vision and purpose. This shift allowed SEE to pursue broader opportunities in the public and private sectors, while continuing to fulfil its mission of creating meaningful employment for people with disabilities across South Africa.
Factories
The following Factory locations form part of Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE):
- Bloemfontein[9]
- Durban
- East London
- Epping, Cape Town
- Rand, Johannesburg
- Kimberley[10]
- Ndabeni, Cape Town
- Pietermaritzburg
- Port Elizabeth
- Potchefstroom
- Pretoria[11]
- Rand, Johannesburg
- Seshego[12]
- Springfield, Johannesburg
See Also
References
- ↑ "Public Employment Services". www.labour.gov.za. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ Reporter, Creamer Media. "Department of Labour - Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE)". Engineering News. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ Boshoff, Sonja (2025-11-16). "Supported Employment Enterprises: the quiet engine we're starving of fuel". Daily Friend. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ "Supported Employment Enterprises (SEE) - Overview". nationalgovernment.co.za. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ "CREATING POSSIBILITIES". JSE MAGAZINE. 2016-10-27. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ "We're pulling together, now let's get development plan rolling". IOL. 2034-08-05. Retrieved 2026-02-06. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Sheltered Employment Factories to be renamed | SAnews". www.sanews.gov.za. 2015-09-29. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ "Employment Services Act, 2014". lawlibrary.org.za. 2014-04-07. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ Hawkins, Warren (2024-04-25). "Bloemfontein's Supported Employment Enterprise to step up their efforts". Bloemfontein Courant. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ Hoo, Sandi Kwon (2262-07-18). "Sports day to promote inclusivity and employee well-being". Diamond Fields Advertiser. Retrieved 2026-02-06. Check date values in:
|date=(help) - ↑ "Speech by the Minister of Labour, Honorable MMS Mdladlana on the Sheltered Employment Factories open day in Silverton, Pretoria | South African Government". www.gov.za. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
- ↑ "DoL: Labour Minister, Mildred Oliphant opens a Supported Employment Enterprise factory to hire 150 persons with disability". www.polity.org.za. Retrieved 2026-02-06.
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