The South African Premier Business Awards are an opportunity for government, and South Africa as a whole, to recognise exceptional businesses and the businesspeople who drive them. They provide an opportunity for government, through the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) and its partners, to acknowledge the enterprises that contribute to the growth of the South African economy and the development of the country.

This is the view of the Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies ahead of the awards ceremony that will take place at the Sandton Convention Centre on Tuesday, 30 January 2018 under the theme Rewarding Business Excellence.

The ceremony, which will be attended by almost thirty finalists contesting for top honours in ten categories, will be hosted by the dti, in partnership with Proudly South African and Brand South Africa.

“The awards are an opportunity for government, and South Africa as a whole, to recognise exceptional businesses and the businesspeople who drive them, ranging from emerging start-ups to established business institutions. These awards bring together all single-sectored awards, including technology, manufacturing and women in business. The awards honour companies and enterprises that promote the spirt of success and innovation along with job creation, business ethics and quality,” says Minister Davies.

He adds that the awards were started in 2013 with the aim of recognising and honouring South African enterprises that invest in human and technical resources in various programmes that remain domestically and internationally competitive and create employment opportunities for the country’s citizens.

“Doing business in South Africa can no doubt be challenging, but it is organisations such as those that we will be honouring next week that are weathering the storm and making the country proud. The awards encourage entrepreneurs who compete in categories that are aligned to the strategic focus of the dti’s Industrial Policy Action Plan (IPAP),” says Minister Davies.

IPAP complements the National Development Plan (NDP) and New Growth Path (NGP) that serve as an overarching instruments for the development and implementation of the dti’s strategies, policies and related pieces of legislation and regulation.

“This year the Black Industrialist Award will be acknowledged as the most prestigious category. In doing so, government is demonstrating its commitment to supporting and increasing the participation of black people in the industrial space. The Black Industrialist Award recognises excellence by a majority black-owned enterprise that is active in the manufacturing sector, as prioritised by IPAP,” says Minister Davies.

The fifth edition of the awards is sponsored by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, Old Mutual, Tsogo Sun and Wits Business School.

“We are thankful to all our sponsors. It is through these committed public-private partnerships that we can truly move South Africa forward,” says Davies.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Proudly South African Mr Eustace Mashimbye says the awards are a testament to South African businesspeople who have taken our ethos to heart and continue to keep the wheels of our economy turning.

The CEO of Brand South Africa, Dr Kingsley Makhubela describes the awards as a highlight for his organisation as they afford all South Africans the opportunity to celebrate uniquely businesses that contribute to the success of this amazing country.