Why become a SESSA Member
SESSA stands for good business practices and ensures that the goods and services offered by its members are of the highest quality.
Through the Guarantee of Excellence, the ombudsman function and the Code of Conduct, SESSA members carry credibility and can offer their customers additional peace of mind, thereby gaining a competitive edge.
GUARANTEE OF EXCELLENCE
The SESSA (Sustainable Energy Society of South Africa) GOE guarantees the client that the products and services sold and installed are of the highest quality.
The company you have chosen is a SESSA member in good standing. Current membership status can be viewed under www.sessa.org.za.
This company has signed the SESSA code of conduct, giving you, the client, peace of mind.
The code of conduct signed includes the following statements:
Shall uphold and enhance the honour, integrity and dignity of the solar industry and SESSA by maintaining high personal and business standards at all times.
Shall solicit work, advertise and promote their services and products with dignity and truth. Any potentially misleading statements, untruthful statements or actions will result in the member being in breach of this code.
Shall ensure the safety and satisfaction of the customer and of the community as it is affected by methods and workmanship to the best of that accredited person’s ability, and ensure that the highest standards of courtesy and consideration of customers and fellow members is maintained.
Shall apply their skill and knowledge in the interest of their clients or employers for whom they act as faithful agents or trustees.
Shall use appropriate materials taking into consideration the legislation, SABS recommended specifications, codes of practice and similar, and the customers’ best interests.
Shall regard as confidential any information concerning the business and technical affairs of their clients and employers.
Shall inform the industry body, their clients or employers if there is a conflict of interest or disagreements.
Shall deal honestly and truthfully with clients, employers and government agencies in all matters pertaining to payments, discounts, rebates and grants and the conditions applying to them.
Shall observe and conform to all relevant Standards and all relevant guidelines, and all applicable laws, ordinances, regulations and codes of practice.
Shall ensure that any person claiming faulty workmanship or disputing an account shall be referred to the member, or to SESSA, and in the case of complaint regarding inferior workmanship the member concerned shall either:
- Make good or replace the work that is subject to the complaint, or recalculate his charge.
- Have the case investigated by SESSA and agree to abide by its decision or the decision made by the appointed SESSA independent agent.
Members in conflict with any of the above may be deemed not to be in good standing and hence liable for suspension.
SESSA has an Ombudsman that ensures that all parties’ rights are protected. Clients and suppliers may approach the Ombudsman, ombudsman@sessa.org.za to resolve disputes, or when any of the abovementioned codes are broken. You, the client, do not have this protection, if you buy from a company that is not a SESSA member.
Ombudsman Function
The SESSA Ombudsman acts as a mediator to resolve issues. This can range from technical to legal matters. The ombudsman can, if necessary, recommend to SESSA Council the suspension of members that do not follow the Code of Conduct. The ombudsman provides a fair and un-biased approach to problems faced by both consumers and SESSA members and as such not only protects consumers but also the SESSA members.
The Ombudsman function is a strong marketing and sales tool by giving potential customers additional security and peace of mind, when buying from SESSA members.
A Gold member has voting rights at SESSA’s council and substantial input into the industry. The Gold member also carries a huge responsibility towards the integrity of the industry. This membership option is aimed at key industry players who are leaders in their fields.
Gold membership fees amounts to the following:
- Annual payment of R8500
The Gold member will also receive a dated certificate, membership cards and a unique membership number.
The Gold member has access to the following services:
- SESSA Guarantee of Excellence (GoE)
- Ombudsman function
- Code of conduct
- Member network marketing
- Preferential marketing & advertising opportunities
- SESSA website link
- Access to accredited training at discount rates
- Free consumer advice
- Awareness campaign
- Alignment with strategic stakeholders
A Corporate member has voting rights at SESSA’s council and significant input into the industry. The Corporate member also carries a large responsibility towards the integrity of the industry. This membership option is aimed at SMMEs with substantial skills and experience in their field.
Corporate membership fees amounts to the following:
- Annual payment of R3000
The Corporate member will also receive a dated certificate, membership cards and a unique membership number.
The Corporate member has access to the following services:
- SESSA Guarantee of Excellence (GoE)
- Ombudsman function
- Code of conduct
- Member network marketing
- Marketing & advertising opportunities
- SESSA website link
- Access to accredited training at discount rates
- Free consumer advice
- Awareness campaign
- Alignment with strategic stakeholders
This membership option is aimed at SMMEs, who has already built up skills, knowledge and experience with at least 2 years experience, through membership networking and accredited skills and training programs offered by SESSA training network members.
Subscription period: 1 year.
No automatically recurring payments.
Companies who are established in the industry, are accredited and building their experience and portfolio with less than 2 years experience.
A Student member is defined as a standalone company that is still new to the industry. This membership option is aimed at emerging SMMEs, who wish to build skills, knowledge and experience through membership networking and accredited skills and training programs offered by SESSA training network members.
Student membership fees amounts to the following:
- Annual payment of R1000
The Student member will also receive a dated certificate, membership cards and a unique membership number.
The Student member has access to the following services:
- SESSA Guarantee of Excellence (GoE)
- Ombudsman function
- Code of conduct
- SESSA website link
- Access to accredited training and skills development programs at discount rates
- Awareness campaign
R750.00 (ZAR)
This membership option is aimed at individuals, who wish to protect themselves through their membership, with access to free consumer advice and the SESSA Ombud.
Subscription period: 1 year.
No automatically recurring payments.
A member of the public, in his/her personal capacity outside of an organization.
The SESSA Guarantee of Excellence is a document that must accompany every installation. This document guarantees the client the following:
- 1. That the products installed comply with all SANS standards
- 2. That the products installed carry a warrantee backed up by supplier and installer
- 3. That the supply chain understands and complies with the Consumer Protection Act (CPA)
- 4. That the supplier and installer will at all times adhere to the SESSA Code of Conduct
Consumers that are not satisfied with either the products or installations have access to the Ombudsman of SESSA, who will be able to objectively assess each case on its merit and make the necessary recommendations.
The SESSA Ombudsman acts as a mediator to resolve issues. This can range from technical to legal matters. The ombudsman can, if necessary, recommend to SESSA Council the suspension of members that do not follow the Code of Conduct. The ombudsman provides a fair and un-biased approach to problems faced by both consumers and SESSA members and as such not only protects consumers but also the SESSA members.
The Ombudsman function is a strong marketing and sales tool by giving potential customers additional security and peace of mind, when buying from SESSA members.
By signing the SESSA Code of Conduct, SESSA members commit to the values of the industry. This not only provides peace of mind to consumers, but also when SESSA members supply each other. The SESSA code of conduct also regulates the relationship between companies and their customers. It ensures that SESSA members comply with the CPA and also protects their interests.
The Ombudsman function is a strong marketing and sales tool by giving potential customers additional security and peace of mind, when buying from SESSA members.
Each SESSA member will have the opportunity to showcase to the SESSA member network what his business is about on a pre-designed template. The idea is to grow our capability as a network in a maturing market and share ideas where companies are not in competition.
Members will be called to publish case-studies about good installations on the SESSA website on a rotational basis advertising their services and promoting the quality of their work.
Specific advertising opportunities on the SESSA website may be made available to members in the near future.
The Ombudsman function is a strong marketing and sales tool by giving potential customers additional security and peace of mind, when buying from SESSA members.
The SESSA website membership directory linking to members websites provides every member an opportunity to advertise their services and products to the general public looking for credible suppliers and installers. The membership directory and supplier search are the most commonly used function on our website with hundreds of consumers searching for suppliers in their area every month.
Each SESSA member can create photo albums in their profile showcasing their installation and work. These albums are then visible on that members public profile.
In the SESSA network there are training companies that will offer ACCREDITED training at discount rates to SESSA members. The training offered includes the following:
- Solar water heating
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- Welding
- PV
- Building
For student members our training providers offer customised training and skills development programs at discounted rates. This is a key element of SESSAs strategy to enable emerging SMMEs to develop and grow the industry, while at the same time ensuring the highest standards and quality.
The ombudsman office often receives enquiries from people wanting credible suppliers, in which case the potential customers are referred to the SESSA website. This creates an indirect line of marketing and further enhances the value of the member listing and case-studies on the website.
A campaign will be launched early in 2019 through the media to make consumers aware of the value of choosing SESSA members for goods and services. SESSA members will be able to market their product and quality through articles published on our website.
SESSA is aligning itself with various stakeholders. They include amongst others SANEDI, SABS, SAIA, PIRB, SAREC and SAPVIA as well as press and media partners. Besides representing the interests of our members, SESSA aims to supply its members with accurate, relevant and up to date information on new developments affecting the industry.