Minister Jeff Radebe, Head of Policy for the ANC and keynote speaker for the ceremony. |
The judges of the awards (from left to right): Victor Kgomoeswana (Chairman of Moneybiz); Zelphinia Mvula (BEE Manager from Metropolitan Holdings Ltd); Kelly Masete (Project Director – Members in Business – of SAICA); Tyrone Naidoo (Managing Director of BEE Online) and Ralf Fletcher (Managing Director of Topco Media). |
Winner of the Top Empowered Company in ICT – IBurst – category sponsored by African Legend Indigo and BMC Software. Thami Mtshali, Founder of IBurst and Ryan Lawlor, the GM for the BMC division - African Legend Indigo. |
Winner of the Top Empowered Company in CSI - Telkom Foundation. Miss South Africa, Tatum Keshwar, with The Telkom Foundation Acting CEO, Prelene Schmidt. |
Winner of the Top New and Innovative Company – African Access Holdings. Mr Seth Phalatse, the Chairman of the African Access Holdings Group with Ralf Fletcher from Topco Media. |
Winner of the Most Improved Year-On-Year BEE Score card – IBurst. Thami Mtshali, Founder of IBurst with Stephen Paxton from Impumelelo. |
Winner of the Top Empowered National or Regional Transforming Government Department – The Department of Defence. Judy Chileshe, Sales Manager of Topco’s Top Women in Business and Government publication with the representative from the Department of Defence. |
Winner of the Top Black Entrepreneur of the Year – Shaun Battlemann from African Access Holdings. Zelphinia Mvula from Metropolitan Holdings Ltd with Shaun Battlemann, CEO of African Access Holdings. |
Winner of the Top Young Black Entrepreneur of the Year – Mfundo Wiseman Thango from Mpilende Foods (Pty) Ltd – category sponsored by BANKSETA. Max Makhubalo, CEO of BANKSETA and Tyrone Naidoo, MD of BEE Online with Mfundo Wiseman Thango. |
Winner of the Top Black Businesswoman of the Year - Geeta Singh from Voltsing Electrical – category sponsored by Kaya FM. |
Winner of the Top Black Business of the Year – African Access Holdings (Pty) Ltd. |
It is hosted every year by Topco Media's annual empowerment publication,
Impumelelo, which documents BEE success stories. The MOEA are aimed at acknowledging, congratulating and celebrating the efforts made by local companies towards the development of BEE and employment equity.
The keynote speaker for the evening was Jeff Rabebe, Head of Policy for the ANC. Minister Radebe was proud to attend the event and said, “It is important to acknowledge the good things and positive changes commonly associated with BEE policies and programmes. In addition, with such policies and programmes, the country is able to safeguard itself against political and economic instability. It must be understood that BEE is not a panacea to all the social ills confronting our society. Rather, BEE is one of many policy instruments designed to restore, through its multi-faceted approach to empowerment, the economic heritage of Black people.”
The following companies and individuals were chosen as winners in the categories that they were nominated in:
Top Empowered Company in ICT - Sponsored by African Legend Indigo and BMC SoftwareiBurst
Top Empowered Company in Health, Safety & Security - Sponsored by Metropolitan Health Group Bonitas Medical Fund
Top Empowered Company In Retail & Property - Sponsored by Metropolitan Property Services PTY LtdWoolworths
Top Empowered Company in Financial ServicesFirst Rand Limited
Top Empowered Company in Business Support ServicesThe Kelly Group
Top Empowered Company in CSITelkom Foundation
Top Empowered Company in Sustainability & Beyond - Sponsored by Business ReportFirst National Bank
Top Empowered Company in LogisticsSuper Group Limited
Top SMME Empowered Company (turnover below 50m) - Sponsored by FNB Commercial BankingMaserumule Incorporated Attorneys
Top New & Innovative CompanyAfrican Access Holdings
Most improved year-on-year BEE score cardiBurst (Proprietary) Ltd
Top Empowered National or Regional Transforming Government DepartmentDepartment of Defence
Top Empowered Transforming Municipality or Province - Sponsored by Development Bank of Southern AfricaJohannesburg Water (Pty) Ltd
Top Transforming Government Agency or ParastatalNational Empowerment Fund
Top Black Entrepreneur of the Year African Access Holdings (Pty) Ltd - Shaun Battlemann
Top Young Black Entrepreneur of the Year (under 35) - Sponsored by BANKSETAMpilende Foods (Pty) Ltd - Mfundo Wiseman Thango
Top Black Businessman of the YearTorque Technical Computer Training (Pty) Ltd - Mthunzi Mdwaba
Top Black Businesswoman Of the Year - Sponsored by Kaya FM Geeta Singh - Voltsing Electrical
Top Black Business Of the Year - Sponsored by Metropolitan Holdings LimitedAfrican Access Holdings (Pty) Ltd
Nkosinathi Chonco, the Group Executive of Metropolitan said, “We are proud to have partnered with Topco Media in hosting the Metropolitan Oliver Empowerment Awards and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners and thank them for their commitment to the philosophies of empowerment in business in South Africa today.”
The MOEA not only recognised the achievements by top performing companies, but also recognised the needs of others who have talent to make them future winners of these awards. Four bursaries from the University of Johannesburg were awarded on the night to promising young students. “What we are building through these awards is for them - may they prosper in a society that allows them to live their greatest dreams,” concluded Richard Fletcher, the chairman of Topco Media.
For further information about the winners and the event, please visit
www.topco.co.za.
