KZN TOP BRAND AWARD 2025
- Chelsea Brand
- Jul 18, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 21
Each year, the KZN Top Brand award is much coveted and honours many of the most loved brands in the province.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) is home to a large number of brands that have been homegrown and driven from within the province. Many of these companies have long histories and they continue to expand their footprints today.
The Top Brand accolade is awarded solely by public vote and is contested over several weeks by an online voting process. The interest in this category is especially reflected in the huge range of brands that are selected and in the thousands of votes cast. The voting also reflects the efforts these businesses put into their branding and marketing with much social media activity taking place.
All the brands have won the support of their employees, clients, family and friends and the votes received are a testament to these accomplishments.
TOP TWENTY
1. SA Home Loans
2. Royal Tyres
3. Beekman Group
4. Meondo Holdings
5. aQuellé
6. Hollywoodbets
7. Hirsch’s
8. Bluff Meat Supply
9. Tyson Properties
10. Tafta (The Association for the Aged)
11. Avemel Logistics
12. Woodford Group
13. Icebolethu Group
14. Imperial Armour
15. SupaHot Geysers
16. GreenHill Laboratories
17. Mobi Ventures
18. Cox Yeats
19. Fordoun Hotel and Spa
20. Your Pass To Travel
ABOUT SA HOME LOANS
As a nationally prominent business with deep KZN-roots and proudly headquartered in Umhlanga, SA Home Loans occupies a unique position in the province. Founded in 1999 by a group of ex-bankers from Durbanbased NBS Bank, SA Home Loans has over the past 26 years firmly entrenched its position in the financial services landscape as the country’s largest non-bank mortgage provider, and a significant participant in its debt capital markets.
At the time of its formation South Africans were facing difficult times financially, with the prime interest rate at 23%, an all-time high. SA Home Loans’ entry into the market brought much needed competition to the traditional banks and choice for consumers. With its team of dedicated home loan specialists and an innovative suite of products it was quickly able to establish itself in the market, saving consumers money through discounted interest rates and the ability to easily switch their home loan to access cash or secure a better deal.
SA Home Loans soon built a strong national brand and nationwide branch footprint enabling more than 300,000 South Africans and their families to become homeowners.
Pioneers in the South African debt capital markets
A cornerstone of the business model was a belief that SA Home Loans could develop a platform to directly fund home loans at scale, allowing it to compete with the banks who funded their lending from customer deposits. To do this SA Home Loans pioneered a funding model known as “securitisation” in South Africa. The successful launch of its first securitisation in 2001 – named ‘Thekwini Fund 1’ in acknowledgement of its Durban heritage – was a milestone not only for the company but the industry. This securitisation model for the first time provided a mechanism to successfully connect the capital held in the country’s pension and investment funds directly to the housing market to the benefit of many South Africans. As the first retail lender to fund itself at scale through securitisation SA Home Loans today retains its role as the leading securitisation issuer in the market – having raised more than R90 billion through its multiple award winning Thekwini Fund platform. Its Thekwini Fund 18 transaction was recognised by London’s ‘The Banker’ publication as Best Securitisation Deal in Africa (2023).
Proudly KZN
SA Home Loans is an employer of choice for those looking for a career in financial services, be it retail lending, insurance or in the world of investment banking in our treasury teams. SA Home Loans boasts a team of over 700 employees performing sales, administration, and specialist roles across credit, IT, legal, finance, treasury, HR and insurance functions, providing a desirable workplace to those who see KZN as providing a lifestyle of choice.
Proudly committed to South Africans
As the company look to the future their commitment to that purpose has not waivered. They believe in the potential of our province and our country. SA Home Loans remains committed to doing their part by enabling home ownership for thousands more South Africans. They will continue to invest in our communities by supporting the poverty alleviation, education, youth, and enterprise development initiatives through the SA Home Loans Foundation.
