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The Eskom Business Investment Awards Competition is having its prize giving in Johannesburg, with finalists from across the country competing.
THE winners in the annual Eskom Business Investment Awards Competition, run by the Eskom Development Foundation in Bryanston, northern Joburg, will be announced on 15 September, a day before the Business Opportunities and Franchise Expo begins.
Thandeka and Emmaneul Mahlatjie from Kholwa Sign Master were selected as finalists in the 2009 Eskom Business Competition
The 18 shortlisted finalists will undergo a second round of adjudication at a prize giving and awards ceremony on the day, while all 27 finalists will participate in the expo, which was previously known as the Eskom Small Business Development Expo. It runs from 16 to 19 September at the Coca-Cola Dome in Northgate.
The foundation helps the development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) countrywide.
For the competition, it called on broad-based black economic empowerment (BBBEE) SMEs to enter. The competition’s objectives include encouraging development and passing on skills to small businesses, while helping the economy grow.
Eskom believes that individual ideas that can translate into viable businesses are essential to the growth of the country. It believes that the small businessperson who creates job opportunities helps to create further business prospects and wealth.
The foundation aims to assist the sector break down barriers between the first-world and third-world economies that survive side-by-side in South Africa. It is also responsible for Eskom’s corporate social investment programme, which helps build the country and encourages business growth through the development programmes.
One of these programmes is the Eskom Business Investment Awards Competition. Through this competition, Eskom recognises the hard work and dedication of these SMMEs.
Haylene Liberty, the chief executive officer of the foundation, says: “The Eskom Business Investment Competition is in its third year. It was initiated to source and identify the most effective, registered black owned SMMEs with the potential to develop, acquire skills and raise capacity to grow the country’s economy in the manufacturing, trade/services and agriculture sectors.”
In 2009, Ashlee Nankoo of Ashlee Panelbeaters won in the trade/services category. At the time, she said the company would use the prize money to expand into heavy vehicles. This has already started to produce dividends and the company expects to have another 60 people working on cars by the end of 2010. If the heavy vehicle division grows as expected, it could result in employee numbers growing to 150.
“This in itself is a true testament to the success of the competition,” says Liberty.
The competition
The foundation was initiated the Eskom Small Business Development Expo, now called the Business Opportunities and Franchise Expo, in 1997, with the objective of providing business opportunities to SMMEs, particularly BEE companies.
Since its inception, the foundation has invited and subsidised black-owned SMMEs nationally to participate in the annual expo. These include those on the Eskom procurement database.
The competition forms part of the expo. It was open to all registered and operating BBBEE SMEs in the country. Of these, 27 finalists are selected in the categories of agriculture, manufacturing and trade/services, from each of the provinces.
Each finalist has to participate in the expo to showcase their business. This allows them to network with other successful business sectors. The experience of participating in such a large business convention also has motivational, learning and experience aspects.
“With the recent signs of the stabilisation of the South African economy, there is still some caution as business remains under pressure and there is uncertainty about demand. It is clear, however, that it will be the smaller companies which will recover faster, since most large conglomerates will continue to experience excess capacity. This is why Eskom realises entrepreneurs represent a critical sector of our economy,” says Liberty.
The competition was founded to assist in establishing sustainable small business ventures and introducing potential entrepreneurs to opportunities where their chance of success is maximised, she adds.
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