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SAACIP was formed to coordinate and promote competitive intelligence in South Africa in a constructive and positive manner. Competitive intelligence is practiced in legal and ethical ways and should not be confused with industrial espionage, cloak and dagger or PI issues.
SAACIP was founded by members of CBIA (South Africa's oldest registered CI consultancy) and a number of other leading local CI practitioners to provide a forum for those interested in and operating in this profession.
Many of the founding members of SAACIP are also members of the international association of competitive intelligence professionals, "SCIP", with its head office in the USA. Although it claims to be an international association it caters mostly for its North American members. The local SCIP chapter in South Africa is not active and exists only in name.
Since its start SAACIP was faced with a number of challenges. SAACIP successfully made representations to the South African Government during 2000 to exclude competitive intelligence practitioners from the proposed new South African Security Industry Regulation Act. The initial discussion document included competitive and business intelligence professionals as "security officers.
During 2004 the President of SAACIP again "defended" the role and function of organised competitive intelligence in South Africa when he testified before the Ministerial Commission on the Review of the Regulation of the Private Security Industry Act.
SAACIP was fortunate to have its view published at two occasions. The views expressed in the articles, focuses almost entirely upon SAACIP's position on ethics in competitive intelligence. See "New Intelligence" published on 20 June 2003 in Business Day and "Fokus op Mededingende Intelligensie" (Afrikaans) published in the Beeld newspaper on 26 September 2003.
SAACIP experienced immediate growth and membership grew to a record number of 82 members during 2002.
The association has regular meetings. So far it has held forty formal breakfast or cocktail events in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban for its members. (See Photo Gallery) It has also hosted a number of educational sessions with local and international experts, including Dr. Craig Fleisher, Douglas Bernhardt, Arik Johnson and Kent Potter. SAACIP celebrated its 5th birthday with a cocktail function at the Centurion Lake Hotel, Pretoria on 25 May 2005. The event was attended by more that sixty members and guests.
The meetings and functions were well worth the effort and the events offered good value and content to members and interested parties.
SAACIP is a genuine South African association offering affordable membership for all South Africans interested in competitive intelligence. SAACIP has structured its fees and admission criteria in such a way to allow as many as possible to join the association with ease.
SAACIP has its own executive committee. All policies and procedures are determined by the committee. Members are regularly requested to submit comments on important issues. An important condition of membership is that members bind themselves to the ethical and legal conduct associated with all facets of competitive intelligence.
SAACIP honours and recognises its members achievements with appropriate awards and certificates.
The following awards have been given since SAACIP's inception in 2000 :
- The SAACIP Meritorious Award was given to Steve Whitehead during November 2002 in recognition for his pioneering work and efforts to promote CI in South Africa and abroad.
- The Johan Pretorius Academic Award was given to Marijke Weitsz and Bernard Odendaal during May 2005 and Dr. Hennie Brummer during September 2006 in recognition for their contributions to the indigenous body of knowledge of competitive intelligence.
- The SAACIP Certificate of Merit was awarded for the first time during May 2005. This award is presented to indivuduals that have made an important and valued voluntarily contribution to the operations and activities of SAACIP. The first recipents of this award are Nico Greyling, Johan Mienie, George Nel, Chris Jordaan, Steve Whitehead, Rachel Maritz and Basjan Rothmann. Dr. Sandra Van Der Merwe, Bernard Odendaal, Radmila Benneyworth, Marijke Weitsz, Etienne Meyer and Deonie Botha received the award during September 2006.
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