The prestigious Minara Chamber of Commerce Business Awards and Gala Dinner 2023 took centre stage in Durban on Friday 27 October, leaving an indelible mark on the local business community.
The event, a celebration of excellence, was broadcast live via Hilaal TV, one of the chamber’s esteemed media partners, to ensure that everyone, regardless of their location, could partake in this remarkable occasion.
Minara’s President, Solly Suleman delivered an insightful address on the Chamber’s pivotal role in fostering business development. His speech emphasized the importance of collaboration in bolstering our nation’s economy and the need for unity to confront current crises and global challenges.
He also took the opportunity to extend his heartfelt congratulations to every finalist, expressing his hope that they will continue their extraordinary business and community efforts, while working in close partnership with the chamber to nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs.
The winners in various award categories included:
Business Entity of the Year Award - Large Category:
Ezulwini Construction was awarded the winner in this category with Supertech Group and Royal Travel as the other two finalists in this category.
Business Entity of the Year Award - Medium Category:
Ahmed Al Kadi Private Hospital was awarded the winner in this category with Escape to the Cape and Monate Dairy the two finalists.
Business Entity of the Year Award - Start-up Category: was awarded to Cape Town based Astronoc and promising start ups in this category included Khweza Environmental Consulting and Super Burger.
The evening shone a spotlight on the extraordinary achievements of women, with three exceptional female finalists: Sumaya Suliman, Shafieqa Ismail, and Amina Sooliman. Amina Sooliman CEO of Milnex was honoured with the title of Businesswoman of the Year 2023.
The Professional Achiever 2023 title was bestowed upon the acclaimed author, Shafinaaz Hassim, who triumphed over strong contenders, including media professional Ashraf Garda and Shoukat A. Mukadam from Cape Town.
Minara Chamber of Commerce also expresses its deep appreciation for the community builders who selflessly dedicate their efforts to support South African and global communities.
The Community Builder of 2023 was awarded to Shahnaaz Paruk of Penny Appeal. Ahmed Osman of Human Aid SA and Imraan Seedat of Lenasia were amongst the finalists this year.
Minara Chamber of Commerce extends its warmest congratulations to all the winners and finalists of the 2023 Business Awards. They look forward to forging meaningful collaborations in the post-event phase, cultivating the leaders of tomorrow, and setting an exemplary standard for generations to come.
Their sincere gratitude goes out to their major partners, Standard Bank and Amka Group, as well as numerous other corporate and institutional supporters, for their invaluable contributions to the success of this event.