Judging is well underway for the Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards 2022. The awards committee is delighted with the vast number of entries and the range of companies that have entered and the team is hard at work adjudicating the entries.
The Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards recognise and celebrate some of the exceptional businesses that operate in KwaZuluNatal. This recognition is especially relevant given the many challenges businesses in KwaZulu-Natal have experienced over the past two and half years. The following companies have been shortlisted (and in no particular order) in the various categories that are available in the 2022 awards. Finalists and winners will be drawn from these shortlists and announced at the hybrid awards ceremony.
The categories are as follows:
1. Business Innovation
This category is open to businesses that can demonstrate an innovative approach to products, concepts or processes, which have contributed to the success of the business. The large number of businesses that entered this category well indicates the emphasis on the need for continual change to succeed in today’s business environment.
Those shortlisted are:
Blue Security
The Holiday Club (Beekman Group)
Mi7 National Group
Hannah Grace
Inzalo Utility Systems
Visual Network SA
East Coast Radio
2. Entrepreneur Resilience
Entrepreneurial Resilience is an individual’s or firm’s ability to successfully navigate through crises, setbacks, or challenges. Entrants in this category have needed great quantities of this characteristic of late.
We salute the following:
Dr Fareed Amod – Crown Dental Studio
Portio Dlamini – Emakheni Group
Margaret Hirsch – Hirsch’s
Saskia Hill – MCS Debt Recovery & Connect BPS
Nondumiso Mthwa – Indwala Property Group
Isaac Mbatha – Sky Tents
Gabbey Malope – Toutele Agriculture College South Africa
Nerusha Maharaj-Sadapal – Visual Network SA
3. Digital/System Implementation The winner of this award will be implementing in the digital sector to provide results that have real impact. This award is for those businesses that employ digital thinking and technologies.
Shortlisted are:
SmartXchange
Beekman Group
Eita Radio
Mi7 National Group
Airshot
East Coast Radio
Netstream Integrated Solutions
4. Employee Wellbeing This award is for businesses that go the extra mile to engage their staff members and what difference this makes to the business. This may be through in-house training, flexible working, personal development, workplace wellbeing activity and teambuilding.
The shortlist comprises:
Beekman Group
uThandekile Foundation
KZN Oils
MCS Debt Recovery & Connect BPS
Cox Yeats Attorneys
5. Small Business Start-up This award recognises start-up businesses that have translated an idea into a successful business venture. The judges are looking for evidence of achievements to date, where the opportunities lie and how the entrants in this category have managed their challenges, especially given the circumstances of 2020 to 2022.
Shortlisted are:
Eita Radio
Infinity Growth Digital Marketing
Visual Network SA
Adah Investments
6. Community and Social Responsibility This award is open to businesses or social enterprises that have made a significant positive impact on the community and region they operate in. Great interest has been shown in this category which is going to make it very difficult for the judges who are astounded by the amazing initiatives that are underway in the province.
The shortlist is:
SmartXchange
East Coast Radio
SLG
Celebrate Life
Azibuyemasisweni Skills Development
Project Rhino
The Association for the Aged (TAFTA)
Innovate Durban
Marshall Security
Beekman Group
KZN Oils
7. Family Business This award is open to businesses where the majority ownership remains within a family (or multi-family) structure, and where more than one generation contributes to the success of the business. Judges will be evaluating why these entrants are a stand-out family business and how being a family business has helped them to succeed.
The 2022 family business are:
Beekman Group
LHL Engineering
Magnet Electrical Supplies
Indwala Property Group
Lichro Chemicals & Laboratory Supplies 8.
Business Personality of the Year The Standard Bank KZN Top Business personality award is an honorary award given to a businessperson who has demonstrated exemplary business achievement, industry influence and is a true inspiration to others. The winner of this award will be announced at the gala dinner.
9. KZN Top Brand The top homegrown brand in KwaZulu-Natal is awarded based only on the results of a public poll. In 2022 these results will be managed through a SMS voting system. All interested stakeholders – business owners, employees, clients, family and friends need to keep voting for their top brand as the rankings change daily.
The current top twenty:
Blue Security
Hollywoodbets
Woodford Car Hire
Beekman Group
East Coast Radio
SLG
Tyson Properties
LHL Engineering
Magnet
The Sharks
Hirsch’s
Supertech Group
Cox Yeats Attorneys
KZN Oils
Imperial Armour
DRG
AmaZulu Football Club
Icebolethu Group
Plennegy
Mediterranean Shipping Company
To vote SMS the letters KZN to 33808. A cost of R1.50 per SMS will be incurred. Furthermore, you could win one of these three super prizes:
■■ One of two one-night stays for two people at the new Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga
■■ A two night stay for two people at the new Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga VOTING CLOSES ON SUNDAY 24 JULY AT 10 PM The Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards ceremony will be held on the 27 July 2022 at the new Radisson Blu Hotel Durban Umhlanga. The event will be streamed online.
To participate in the online proceedings visit www.kzntopbusiness.com.