Objectives

The primary objective is to deliver a foundational Mandarin language training programme for Brand South Africa employees. The training aims to equip professionals with essential vocabulary, pronunciation, and practical grammar to navigate everyday and workplace interactions, while fostering cultural awareness to support the organisation’s broader nation-branding, international trade, and diplomatic engagement goals.

Scope of Work

The service encompasses a structured introductory Mandarin course designed for corporate professionals. Key instructional components include:

• Introduction to major Chinese language varieties and the Mandarin sound system, focusing on pinyin transcription and tonal accuracy
• Understanding simplified and traditional Chinese characters, including stroke order and structural combinations
• Mastery of core vocabulary and pronunciation for greetings, numbers, names, and nationalities
• Application of appropriate professional titles and business etiquette in Chinese-speaking environments
• Development of oral proficiency in assigned grammatical structures and conversational phrases
• Development of written proficiency in corresponding grammatical structures and vocabulary
• Cultural education covering formative historical events, contemporary social norms, and relevant geographical information

Technical Requirements

• Submit a verifiable reference letter on official client letterhead confirming prior experience in delivering basic Mandarin language training
• Provide a detailed, line-item budget breakdown on company letterhead; all unit prices must exclude VAT, while the total quote must be VAT-inclusive
• Ensure all quoted pricing remains valid for a minimum of 90 days from submission
• Complete and attach all mandatory Standard Bid Document (SBD) forms, including pricing schedules, bidder disclosures, and preference point claim forms
• Attach a current Central Supplier Database (CSD) report and a certified Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) certificate or sworn affidavit
• Operate under the direct supervision of a Brand South Africa representative and strictly adhere to the organisation’s Code of Conduct and internal governance guidelines
• Deliver services according to a mutually agreed project implementation plan, with payments processed within thirty days of satisfactory milestone completion

Skills Requirements

• Native or near-native fluency in Mandarin Chinese with formal pedagogical qualifications or equivalent corporate language-training experience
• Proven ability to instruct adult professionals on pinyin systems, tonal differentiation, and character recognition (both simplified and traditional)
• Competence in designing curriculum that balances oral communication drills with written literacy exercises aligned to workplace scenarios
• Strong cross-cultural communication expertise, particularly regarding Chinese business protocols, hierarchical addressing conventions, and socio-historical context
• Experience managing group instruction, assessing learner progress, and adapting teaching methods to diverse professional backgrounds

Explanation of Key Procurement Terms

PPPFA 80/20 Preference System: A South African public procurement scoring mechanism where 80% of evaluation points are awarded for competitive pricing and 20% for designated socio-economic goals, such as black ownership or exempted micro-enterprise status.

SBD Forms: Standardised bidding documents mandated by South African state entities to ensure transparency, declare potential conflicts of interest, and formally claim preferential procurement points.

CSD Report: An official registration record issued by the National Treasury’s Central Supplier Database, confirming a supplier’s legal existence, tax compliance, and banking details.

B-BBEE: Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment, a government regulatory framework that evaluates companies across ownership, management control, skills development, enterprise development, and socio-economic contribution to advance economic transformation and redress historical inequalities.