All of the winners in the Standard Bank KwaZulu-Natal Top Business Awards 2021 were announced last night. The annual awards, which are now in their fifteenth years of existence, celebrate business excellence and recognise the successful businesspeople who drive these achievements, across a range of categories.
In his welcome address, Imraan Noorbhai, Standard Bank Head Consumer Client Coverage, KwaZulu-Natal emphasised the bank’s commitment to growing the economy. He said, “At Standard Bank our purpose is defined by ‘Africa is our home we drive her growth’. We aim to make life better for our fellow Africans by doing the right business the right way, contributing to the financial wellbeing of our clients, and supporting sustainable and job creating growth of the economies in which we operate. We are more than a bank; we are an integrated financial services operation and deeply rooted in Africa. In these uncertain times we are committed to doing everything that we can to support our people, our clients and our communities.”
As such the Standard Bank is a proud sponsor of the awards, which in 2021 included a number of new categories. The category winners were:
Business Innovation: Imperial Armour
Entrepreneur Resilience: Sihle Ndlela and Simphiwe Majozi
Digital/System Implementation: Plennegy (Pty) Ltd
Employee Wellbeing: MCS Debt Recovery
Small Business Start-up: Seventeen87 Wine Cellar
Community and Social Responsibility: Toyota South Africa Motors {Pty) Ltd
Family Business: Hirsch's
Business Personality: Ashok Sewnarain
Top Brand: Hollywoodbets
Ashok Sewnarain, chief executive officer of International Bank Vaults (IBV) was recognised for the business success he has achieved, which has been balanced with a deep commitment to community and social support.
The much-coveted Top Brand award was contested by public vote over a number of weeks. Hollywoodbets first place selection was followed by Blue Security and Plennegy in second place and third place respectively.
Grant Adlam, CEO of KZN Top Business, thanked all entrants in this year’s event. “Selecting winners is never an easy task and this year we were overwhelmed by the interest shown, which was reflected in both the number and quality of the entries,” he said.
Hameed Noormahomed, Standard Bank Head Business Client Coverage, KwaZulu-Natal thanked all the nominees and winners of the 2021 Standard Bank KZN Top Business Awards for helping to play an integral part in our African economy. He said, “We thank all businesses for their agility and resilience in forging ahead under these challenging times to stimulate and grow our economy. Business plays a crucial role in the growth of Africa.
In commenting on Standard Bank’s role in the economy he said, “You can bank on us for solutions to help you start, manage and grow your business. At Standard Bank ‘It can be’.”
As attendance was strictly limited to adhere to Covid-19 regulations, the event was live streamed so that employees, clients, families, friends, and other stakeholders could view the proceedings remotely.
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