Business 'Oscar' nominees down to the final 75

"This is a stellar shortlist of the best performing companies in a tough South African economy," commented Shaun Battlemann, CEO of African Access Holdings. "Our vision is to uplift and empower all the people of South Africa. That mission is fostered by the inspiration afforded by role models who triumph against adversity.

"We see great inspirational value in the success of these companies and congratulate them on their status as finalists in South Africa's most prestigious business awards programme."

First round of judging to identify finalists was completed on Friday, May 27. The follow-up round on Friday, June 3, will decide the best of the best.

The judges for the African Access National Business Awards

The identities of the 'Oscar' winners will remain a secret until all is revealed at the African Access National Business Awards gala awards dinner at Sandton Convention Centre on June 23.

Among the most keenly contested awards is that of The Top Performing Company of the Year. However, all the awards have taken on considerable cachet in view of their national scope and rigorous quality standards, noted Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media, publisher of Top Performing Companies, the authoritative business annual and vehicle for the awards programme.

Contenders on that shortlist of finalists are:

Top Performing Company Categories

Investing in People Award

• Atlas Copco SA (Pty) Ltd
• General Motors South Africa (Pty) Ltd
• Imperial Logistics
• Kumba Iron Ore Ltd
• McDonald's South Africa
• MultiChoice Africa (Pty) Ltd
• Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd
• Prestige Cleaning Services (Pty) Ltd
• Smit Amandla Marine (Pty) Ltd
• Voltex (Pty) Ltd

Alt-X Performance Award

• ISA Holdings Ltd
• Moneyweb Holdings Ltd
• OneLogix Group Ltd
• Paladin Capital Ltd
• Rolfes Technology Holdings Ltd
• Vox Telecom Ltd

Logistics Award - Sponsored by Kintetsu World Express

• Bakers Transport (Pty) Ltd
• Bigfoot Express (Pty) Ltd
• Imperial Logistics
• South African Post Office Ltd
• Super Group Limited
• Trenstar SA (Pty) Ltd

Innovation through Technology Award

• Accsys (Pty) Ltd
• Business Connexion (Pty) Ltd
• Cape Town International Convention Centre
• Microsoft SA (Pty) Ltd
• Nambiti Technologies (Pty) Ltd
• Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd
• Pick 'n Pay
• Real People (Pty) Ltd
• Voltex (Pty) Ltd

Customer Focus Award - Sponsored by Mutual & Federal

• Boxer Superstores (Pty) Ltd
• City Lodge Hotels Ltd
• City of Joburg Property Company (Pty) Ltd
• Igoda Projects (Pty) Ltd
• Microsoft SA (Pty) Ltd
• Nambiti Technologies (Pty) Ltd
• PC Training and Business College (Pty) Ltd
• Primi World (Pty) Ltd
• Spring Lights Gas (Pty) Ltd
• Voltex (Pty) Ltd

Marketing Excellence Award

• 5FM
• Aldes Business Brokers Franchise Africa (Pty) Ltd
• Ampaglas Plastics Group
• Boxer Superstores (Pty) Ltd
• Business Connexion (Pty) Ltd
• City Lodge Hotels Ltd
• Kraft Foods South Africa (Pty) Ltd
• Simmons S.A. (Pty) Ltd

Fast Growth Award

• B Braun Avitum (Pty) Ltd
• City of Joburg Property Company (Pty) Ltd
• Igoda Projects (Pty) Ltd
• Kumba Iron Ore Ltd
• Nambiti Technologies (Pty) Ltd
• PC Training & Business College (Pty) Ltd

Fast Growth SMME Award - Sponsored by Business Report

• Capricorn FM
• Consumer Goods Council of SA
• Dakot Milling Media (Pty) Ltd
• Mpilende Foods (Pty) Ltd
• My Personal Trainer Wellness (Pty) Ltd
• Waste Plan (Pty) Ltd
• Zanusi Brand Solutions

Business Education & Training Award

• Accsys (Pty) Ltd
• Ampaglas Plastics Group
• College of Cape Town
• Ifihlile Training Academy KZN
• PC Training & Business College (Pty) Ltd
• South African Post Office Ltd
• UCT Graduate School of Business

Diversity in the Workplace Award - Sponsored by SAfm

• Ampaglas Plastics Group
• KZN Oils (Pty) Ltd
• Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd
• Simmons S.A. (Pty) Ltd
• Smit Amandla Marine (Pty) Ltd
• Voltex (Pty) Ltd
• WOA Fuels and Oils

ESG Award

• Cape Town International Convention Centre
• Imperial Logistics
• Johannesburg City Parks
• Kumba Iron Ore Ltd
• Pick 'n Pay
• Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd
• Spring Lights Gas (Pty) Ltd
• The Waste Group (Pty) Ltd
• Western Cape Department of Health

Business Tourism Award - Sponsored by South African Tourism

• Cape Town International Convention Centre
• Johannesburg City Parks
• Mangwanani
• Thebe Exhibitions & Projects Group

Stokvel Award

• EDC Womens Club
• Khumo Social Club
• Kliptown Helping Hands
• Reyakopele Trading
• Siwelil'Emzansi Stokvel Primary Co-operative
• Sweet Harmony

Top Performing Individual Categories

Top Performing Government Leader Award

• Geoffrey Cooke - Johannesburg City Parks
• Prof Keith Craig Househam - Western Cape Department of Health

Top Performing Entrepreneur of the Year Award - Sponsored by Airports Company South Africa

• Brett Levy - Blue Label Telecoms Ltd
• Mark Levy - Blue Label Telecoms Ltd
• Simphiwe Mdlalose - Capricorn FM
• Asgar Mahomed - Esquire System Technology (Pty) Ltd
• Rajendran Reddy - KZN Oils (Pty) Ltd
• Tokoloho Letsunyane - Letsunyane Associates (Pty) Ltd
• Gus Behn - Longspan Gutters cc
• Ronald Abvajee - My Personal Trainer Wellness (Pty) Ltd
• Egbert Lourens - Waste Plan (Pty) Ltd

Top Performing Businesswoman of the Year Award - Sponsored by African Access

• Teryl Schroenn - Accsys (Pty) Ltd
• Gin Bhana - Aldes Business Brokers Franchise Africa (Pty) Ltd
• Gwen Gerber - CHM Vuwani Computer Solutions (Pty) Ltd
• Helen Botes - City of Joburg Property Company (Pty) Ltd
• Ria Ivy Ledwaba - Ifihlile Training Academy KZN
• Carol Weaving - Thebe Exhibitions & Projects Group

Top Performing Businessman of the Year Award - Sponsored by African Access

• Scott Farrell - B Braun Avitum (Pty) Ltd
• Andrew Mills - Boxer Superstores (Pty) Ltd
• Chris Griffith - Kumba Iron Ore Ltd
• Iqbal Bam - Simmons S.A. (Pty) Ltd
• Dirk van Niekerk - The Waste Group (Pty) Ltd

Top Performing Government Categories

Parastatal of the Year Award

• Johannesburg City Parks
• Pan South African Language Board
• South African Post Office Ltd

Headline Awards

Lifetime Achievement Award
Top Performing Company of the Year Award

"Recognition for superior performance in the business arena has significance that extends way beyond the limelight on awards night," said Ralf Fletcher. "Economic growth is the fuel that drives our democracy and sustains the aspirations of 50 million South Africans.

"Our major sponsor, the investment company African Access, makes this commitment because it seeks a successful, sustainable and economically liberated South Africa for all. Encouragement of superior business performance via the African Access National Business Awards is obviously important in the realization of that goal.

"This also explains the participation of entrants from across the commercial spectrum. They are looking for something more than plaudits from their peers and the media. They seek independent confirmation that they are achieving their strategic objectives and contributing to the national vision of a strong and prosperous South Africa that creates opportunities for all."

In addition to African Access, the awards are supported by category sponsors Mutual & Federal, Kintetsu World Express, South African Tourism and Airports Company South Africa.

Official media partners Business Report and SAfm will be interviewing finalists, judges and sponsors on air during the run-up to the awards.

Big media interest is also anticipated on awards night in view of the presence of numerous big-name business personalities. On the A-list of attendees are: Jimmy Manyi (President of Black Management Forum), Ms Tembakazi Mnyaka (Deputy President of the Black Management Forum), Dumisani Radebe (General Manager of Direct Sales at BMW South Africa) and Xolile George (CEO of the South African Local Government Association).

Guest speaker on the big night is Chris Griffith, CEO of Kumba Iron Ore.

• Awards are presented to SMMEs, corporates and parastatals across 20 categories and include accolades for fast growth and workplace diversity.