Celebrating the efforts made by 16 local companies and individuals towards the development of Black Economic Empowerment

The prestigious Oliver Empowerment Awards, which is hosted by Topco Media’s annual empowerment publication Impumelelo, acknowledged, congratulated and celebrated the efforts made by 16 local companies and individuals towards the development of Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and transformation. From an impressive list of 60 finalists, winners in 16 categories were announced at a black tie event on Thursday 3 May 2012 at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg.

The winners are:

Empowerment Funding Award: Absa Group Limited

Education and Training Award: Dormac (Pty) Ltd

Supply Chain Management Award: Netcare Limited

Corporate Leadership Award:  SizweNtsalubaGobodo Inc

Community Development Award: Netcare Limited

New Black Business Development Award: Netcare Limited

Diversity Award: Lion of Africa Insurance Company Limited

Top Black Entrepreneur of the Year Award: Bongi-M Construction cc - Ms Sibongile Maseko

Top Black Business Leader of the Year Award: Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo Inc. - Ms Nonkululeko Gobodo

Top Black Public Sector Executive Award: SAMSA - Commander Tsietse Mokhele

Top Black Owned Business of the Year Award: Lebone Engineering (Pty) Ltd

Top Empowered Business of the Year Award: SizweNtsalubaGobodo Inc

Top Black Owned SMME Award: Molobeng Mining Labour Hire and Projects SA (Pty) Ltd

Public Service Award: SA Maritime Safety Authority

Top Empowered Multinational Award: Microsoft South Africa (Pty) Ltd

NGO of the Year Award: Zenzele Training and Development

People leading interesting lives - Here's more about some of the winners:

• The award ceremony started with the Lifetime Achievement Award being given to respected businessman Mark Headbush, after an address by keynote speakers Tembakazi Mnyaka, the Deputy President of the Black Management Forum, and Eric Miyeni, journalist, filmmaker, actor and 'agent provocateur'. 

“Mark has made an incredibly positive impact not only in the area of black economic empowerment but also in the South African business arena as a whole. He is a notable and remarkable business leader who embodies the principals of empowerment, entrepreneurship and transformation. He is totally deserving of this Lifetime Achievement Award after a lifetime dedicated to transformation and equal opportunity,” publisher of Impumelelo, Ralf Fletcher said.

The award citation read in part: "Mark Headbush helped establish Afritel Cellular Systems - South Africa’s first black-owned and operated cellular service provider. Mark also started Vula Investments – part of the Midi TV consortium that gave birth to e tv. Mark has been involved in countless other ventures during his almost 20 years in the South African ICT sector".

• Entrepreneur of the Year, Sibongile Maseko from Bongi-M Construction, was hailed as follows: "Coming straight out of Grade 12, she cut her teeth as a civil engineer at a construction company where she did an in-house qualification. She then climbed the ladder before moving into a consulting engineer position. This took her directly on a path of working with small business entrepreneurs in the field.

"Sibongele took the next step – starting her own business which she funded from her personal savings. Bongi M Construction started by subcontracting for larger firms. But the company has grown, winning contract after contract, and is now a leading player in the construction industry’s SMME sector. Bongi M Construction has an exemplary record and is 100% female-owned". 

• The Top Black Owned Business of the Year Award went to Lebone Engineering, a consulting engineering firm.

The business was started by four black engineers in 1995 and now employs over 100 people on either a full-time or consulting basis. "It has shown exemplary growth and has a track record in securing growing contracts. It has a commitment to transformation and empowerment that extends into incubating two black-owned businesses," the judges said.

• The Top Black-Owned SMME award went to Matthew Molobeng, who started Molobeng Mining and Labour Hire in 2007 with a view to help matriculants get direct training for jobs. 

"The firm specializes in haulage maintenance and rail installation.  It pursues mining operations in and around South Africa and supplies the industry with skilled and competent workers.  Currently it employs over 100 people with clear targets to grow that to 500 in the next five years. The firm is entirely managed and owned by black youth."

• The NGO of the Year went to Zenzele Training, a community-based project in Khayelitsha in the Cape with a focus on skills training that give unemployed solid technical skills such as sewing, woodwork and welding.

To date it has trained over 9,000 people in these fields and over 65% of its graduates are economically active. All graduates are given ongoing business mentorship and business skills, and allowed to use the facilities and gear as an incubator to get their businesses running. It recently has expanded to support graduates to start businesses, giving them the support and infrastructure to get them on their feet.

• The Top Black Business Leader of the Year is Nonkululeko Gobodo from Sizwe Ntsaluba Gobodo.

The first black woman chartered accountant in South Africa and a founding member of Gobodo Incorporated, she grew the business from a few trainee clerks in the Eastern Cape to an organisation with a staff of 450 with 7 regional offices. "She is a pioneer and visionary, who has used her skills and to build an organisation that contributes to the growth of black talent, and communities. She is well known for her leadership, integrity, forward-thinking and courage," the judges stated.

• The Top Black Public Sector Executive award went to Commander Tsietsi Mokhele, who was hailed for taking "the 14-year-old public entity that is the South African Maritime Safety Authority and totally revitalising it".

"When he took control in 2008 it was an organisation with no brand, no systems and a collapsed financial system.  He has revived the brand, has grown the organisation, grown the revenue and modernised its operations. This includes installing long range tracking technology and being awarded the contract to run a Marine Highway Project that will allow the Indian Ocean to be safely used by larger ships that currently use the Suez Canal".

• Netcare won three awards.

It was chosen for using 85% of its procurement spending on BEE compliant enterprises, which accounts for R6.7 million rand. The judges also stated that in 2011, Netcare spent R446 million rand developing skills in the nursing and pharmacy fields both for staff and unemployed youth. Its community projects include sponsored 'Smiles for You' surgery for 61 disadvantaged patients.

Party time:

A star-studded list of personalities and notable business leaders including the likes of the current Miss South Africa Melinda Bam, award-winning actor Clint Brink, Ayanda Vilakazi and Christopher Mashigo from the the Coega Development Corporation, Tyrone Naidoo, Executive Director at BEE Online and Thami Mtshali, CEO of iBurst joined the eloquent MC for the evening Siv Ngesi on stage to hand over the awards.

The evening was punctuated by the hip-swaying tunes of Tender Mavundla, the talented Idols finalist who also bravely revealed her HIV Positive status to South African viewers during the contest. Her silky voice kept the attendees entranced, among them Metro FM’s Azania Mosaka, ex-Miss SA Joan Ramagoshi, Menzi Ngubane from Generations, Sisa Hewana from Isidingo and Top Billing’s Lorna Maseko.

“These awards are not about a trophy, a badge or about a prize of any kind. Granted, previous winners have achieved landmark successes and closed deals in excess of R1.3 million post receiving an award, [but] it's about one thing, recognition. It’s about saying well done and thank you, we recognise you and applaud you for making a better South Africa for us all. It’s as simple as that. And that’s the bottom line,” said Fletcher about the awards.