The nonprofit network B Lab launched its B Corp Certification in 2006 as a clear way to measure business accountability. Certification is important for trust in sustainability claims but can be confusing if you don’t understand what it refers to.
B Corp Certification process rigorously assesses the entirety of a company – from labour rights to environmental impact. Amidst greenwashing and empty claims, it’s a way for customers to know they’re supporting companies genuinely doing good business. And it’s good for business too – future-proofing companies and ensuring their sustainability measures are structural, impactful, and real.
“B Corp is holistic. It doesn’t just certify the product; it certifies the entire company,” says Elizabeth Mutwiri, senior associate at B Lab Africa, the continent’s chapter of the certification process.
“We look at everything from carbon footprint and board diversity to how you treat your lowest-paid workers and your relationship with local suppliers,” says Elizabeth. “It’s the difference between saying ‘this item is good’ and ‘this entire business is evolving to benefit people and the planet’.”
There are around 10,500 B Corps around the world, with 20 headquartered in South Africa. We spoke to Elizabeth, as well as two successful South African B Corps – The Wren Design and Ballo – to find out more about the certification, the process, and the benefits of going through it.
What a B Corp actually measures
B Corp measures a company’s impact across five areas: governance, workers, community, environment, and customers. By meeting these standards, businesses prove a commitment to ethical practices that benefit people and the planet – not just shareholders and profit.
- Governance: This evaluates the company’s overall mission, how it engages with its impact, and how transparent its practices are.
- Workers: Businesses need to demonstrate a commitment to employees through traceable initiatives such as fair pay, financial security, wellness, and career development training.
- Community: How the company engages with the communities in which it operates, hires, and sources from, from supply chain management to charitable giving.
- Environment: A company’s overall impact on air, climate, water, land and biodiversity is measured, both directly and across supply chains and distribution channels.
- Customers: Customer care is evaluated through several factors, including the quality of products and services, marketing ethics, and data privacy and security.
B Corp-accredited businesses, or B Corps, are certified against the B Lab Standards, a globally recognised framework. The process is independently audited and verified by a third party.
B Corp in South Africa
In 2015, B Lab Africa was founded to help African businesses navigate B Corp certification, which can be arduous and lengthy. Globally, over 10,500 companies are certified, with 97 headquartered in Africa. South Africa has 20 certified businesses, including Faithful to Nature, Danone, Lubanzi Wines, Sealand Gear, The Wren Design, Ballo, and Van Hunks.
However, certification isn’t the only way to engage with B Lab. More than 6,000 African businesses use the B Impact Assessment or SDG Action Manager to measure and manage their impact. While clearly interested in the benefits of B Lab, African businesses face several unique challenges to certification. According to a study by UCT, these include limited resources, complex regulations, and the time and documentation required to meet the rigorous standards. For a small business, annual fees start at $600, which scales with revenue.
To support companies, B Lab Africa offers guidance through the Resilient Sustainable Business (RSB) Program, designed specifically for African SMEs. There are also expert external consultants available and introductory classes offered to guide businesses through the certification process.
Rather than being intimidated, businesses should see it as a major opportunity. “Certification is not the only goal. In fact, the assessment process can highlight gaps,” says Elizabeth. “Even if you are not pursuing full certification, that does not mean that you cannot work towards being a sustainable business. While 90% of African businesses are SMEs, they are often more agile in making the necessary changes.”
The certification process
The B Impact Assessment (BIA)
First, businesses should complete the free self-assessment questionnaire that measures their social and environmental performance. This will take a small business a few hours to complete, while larger organisations may need days or several weeks to gather all the necessary data.
The assessment itself does not grant certification, but serves as preparation for the formal process. Businesses need to achieve a minimum score of 80 out of 200 points before qualifying to apply for certification.
Companies score points for measurable, verifiable actions. These could include offering employees more parental leave than what the law requires, using certified sustainable materials, or publishing an annual impact report. Improvements may still be required, even if a company is on the right track – for example, a business may recycle but not measure it formally, or offer flexible working without a written policy in place.
Official B Corp certification process
Once submitted, B Lab evaluates your BIA through a review process of five to six stages. In total, this can take approximately six to 12 months.
- Evaluation queue (up to 7 months): The company waits to be assigned to an analyst for assessment.
- Evaluation (up to 3 months): B Lab assesses eligibility and prepares the company for the official verification process.
- Verification queue (up to 4 months): The company submits additional documentation and waits to be assigned to a Verification analyst.
- Verification (up to 3 months): B Lab reviews documentation, confirms the score, and conducts a review call.
- Improvement (up to 3 months, if needed): If required, B Lab advises on how to reach at least 80 points. If the score falls below 75, the review closes, and the company may reapply at a later stage once enough improvements have been made.
- Post-verification (up to 1 month): Final administrative steps are completed, including payment of the first annual certification fee.
The benefits of certification
Beyond the reassurance that your business is doing good for people and planet, B Corp certification offers real competitive advantages. Aligning with globally recognised sustainability standards helps African businesses to differentiate themselves in crowded markets. Key benefits include:
- Connection with like-minded businesses, opening opportunities for collaboration, B2B partnerships and knowledge sharing.
- Demonstrating on a global scale your company’s commitment to ethical practices, as verified by an independent third party.
- Signalling accountability to international partners and the global supply chain.
- Companies re-certify every three years, which ensures their operations and commitments are regularly evaluated.
Ballo sunglasses are made from recycled and plant-based materials
B Corp: Ballo
Ballo makes sunglasses from recycled, upcycled and plant-based materials in Woodstock, Cape Town, and was the winner of the Accessory Award at the 2025 Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards.
What were the challenges and lessons from the certification process?
The biggest challenge was getting the required certifications from suppliers, as many of our materials are sourced as waste materials from small businesses or designers. The illuminating part of this was how deep into the business you have to dig to find the detail required for certification. The whole process took almost 12 months.
Have you noticed an impact on your business since certification?
We’ve used the framework as a discipline rather than a badge. It’s helped us formalise values that were already part of Ballo, while also pushing us to make concrete operational, environmental, and social improvements.
What would you say to a South African business considering B Corp certification?
It feels great to be part of a community of people and businesses who are putting the planet before profit.
The Wren Design uses reclaimed paper and natural fibres to make functional, practical lifestyle products
B Corp: The Wren Design
The Wren Design creates durable, beautiful and useful items out of its ProtectPaper™, made from recycled paper in Muizenberg, Cape Town.
What were the challenges and lessons from the certification process?
Diving deep into product and process sustainability. It was not enough to know the product or material is sustainable: it needed supporting documentation to prove it. The positive side to this is that we are now confident in every statement we make and have a clear sustainability policy that guides our decisions.
Have you noticed an impact on your business since certification?
Becoming a B Corp formalised many of the values we were already working towards, but it also pushed us to be more intentional, measurable, and properly accountable.
Operationally, we’ve tightened up our processes and documentation, and we now look at sustainability and ethics as part of everyday decision-making – not something floaty.
One of the more tangible changes we introduced through the certification was a supplier code of conduct, which all of our suppliers are required to complete. This covers business integrity, labour practices, environmental responsibility, and health and safety. The aim isn’t to police or exclude, but to create awareness as to where a business currently is, what good practice looks like, and where they can realistically work towards.
What would you say to a South African business considering B Corp certification?
Do it because you genuinely believe in what the certification represents. The more businesses that commit to these principles, the more collective power the movement gains — influencing consumer buying decisions and reshaping how businesses operate. We should all be working towards a better tomorrow, and B Corp provides an incredible roadmap for getting there. Together, we can help build a better future.
Why certification is crucial to sustainability
B Corp certification should be seen as an essential business strategy. “We need to stop viewing sustainability as a “luxury” and start seeing it as future-proofing,” says Elizabeth. She suggests business owners view measuring their impact as a way of assessing risks and potential problems, in a world of climate instability and shifting regulations.
“With global debt crises and geopolitical shifts, some leaders are retreating into short-term survival mode,” says Elizabeth.
“However, at B Lab Africa, we see the opposite trend on the ground. For us, sustainability isn’t a topic on an agenda; it’s a survival strategy. Africa is disproportionately hit by climate change and inequality. For an African business, being “sustainable” isn’t about following a trend in Europe; it’s about building a business that can survive a drought, support a community, and thrive in a resource-constrained world. We aren’t moving the goalposts; we’re raising the bar because the stakes have never been higher.”
- Feature image by Ballo
