Black economic empowerment is necessary to build a prosperous society, deputy president Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday.

"Black economic empowerment is necessary not only to satisfy the imperatives of the Constitution. It is necessary not only to correct the wrongs of the past. It is necessary and essential if we are going to build a prosperous, sustainable and equitable society."

He said there was a need to undo the deliberate exclusion of black people and women from meaningful participation in the mainstream of the economy.

"We need to understand the barriers that still prevent black and women business people from establishing themselves in particularly industries. And we need to work together to address them."

He told the ANC Nelson Mandela Region gala dinner that effective black economic empowerment benefited everyone.

"The Nelson Mandela Metro is a strategic economic centre. It has significant infrastructure and a strong industrial base. It has skilled and capable people. But most importantly, it has tremendous potential for growth and development."

He said the region required a dynamic and vibrant partnership between government, business, labour and communities.