Caird was invited to the Fidentia Top Empowerment Awards at the Xtreme Lifestyle Centre in Fourways (JHB). It was a lavish affair – big sponsors, no expense spared. There is a deep cynic in me when it comes to these events – my natural instinct is to ask what the level of empowerment in fact is. But I was pleasantly surprised – there were a lot of winners that I had never heard of.
The MCs were Laurence Dube and Bronwyn Nielsen (her hair did her no favours) – both entertaining. I sat a table with Kunyalala Maphisa. Kunya is a known BEE expert and I included a quote from her in my book – she speculated that directors who don’t implement BEE may be liable for a breach of their fiduciary duties.
Here is the list of winners (you heard it first here):
- CSI Company of the year – First Rand Foundation. The presentation speech (didn’t catch his name) mentioned that each company donates 1% of after tax profits, totalling R65million. This percentage is an internationally accepted average – the generic scorecard requires 3%.
- Emerging gender empowered company – SRS Aviation
- Emerging empowered company – iBurst (worst internet service in the country – they couldn’t have considered this when they judged the award?)
- Resources – African Rainbow Minerals
- Manufacturing – ATC
- Food processors and producers – Premier Foods
- Health Care – Life Health Care Group
- Construction – Columbia DBL
- Investment Companies – Community Investment Holdings (why weren’t our friends from Nations Capital nominated?)
- Pharmaceuticals – Enaleni Cipla Pharmaceuticals
- Retail – LA Group Ltd (I was not aware that they fulfilled the requisite empowerment credentials)
- Leisure, entertainment and hotels – Tsogo Sun Holdings
- Media and photography – Kagiso Media
- Business support services – Direct Channel Holdings
- Financials – Oasis Group Holdings
- Telecommunications – MTN (usual suspects here – not much to choose from)
- Utilities – Rand Water (all parastatals, why do they bother with this category)
- Transport – Equity Aviation Services
- IT – GijimaAST
- Top Entrepreneur of the year
- Male – Greg Maloka (Instant Grass)
- Female – Sibongile Sambo (very likable lady)
- Top personality:government
- Male – Trevor Manuel (I can’t say enough about him)
- Female – Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi
We don’t know who the winners of the top businessman and businesswoman of the year are, the nominees were:
- Male
- Andile Mazwai – BJM
- Jabu Mabuza – Tsogo Sun
- Phutuman Nhleko – MTN
- Female
- Irene Charnley – MTN
- Thandi Orleyn – Peotana Holdings
- Yolanda Cuba – Mvelaphanda Group
Impumelelo: South Africa’s Top Empowerment Companies
Caird has been asked to edit the empowerment section of the next issue. Rienzo and I are very excited to be involved in this project. We’ve been to-ing and fro-ing with Sam Dominy (the major editor) and we’ve put together an issue that we feel best reflects broad-based empowerment in South Africa. Our deadline for content is the 15th of December, we can only hope that the codes come out before then.