TT 100 awards showcase local technological excellence

South Africans are some of the most innovative developers of technology in the world - and this is what the Technology Top 100 award programme celebrates every year. But more than just celebrating the success of South African technological innovation, the TT100 looks to encourage a culture of technological innovation and excellence in South African companies.

Launched in 1991 by the South African Engineering Association to draw attention to the importance of developing such a culture, the TT100 has evolved into one of the top business awards programmes and recognised as the premier business excellence awards in South Africa. As the showcase of technological excellence in the country, the TT100 highlights South Africa's top technology organisations as role models to inspire fellow South Africans to emulate their achievements and in so doing it is driving growth and innovation advancement in our country.

Networking channels

The partnership with the Department of Science and Technology allows the TT100 to open up significant networking channels and opportunities for all of the innovators involved. Significant private sector sponsorship has also been secured since 1997, which means that the programme holds a unique opportunity for public and private sector partnerships.

Because TT100 strives to both identify new technologies and to promote them to potential funders, it's important to also partner with organisations that are able to walk the road with these innovators from the beginning. One such partnership is with Eskom and Industrial Development Corporation, the sponsor of the Emerging TT100 Enterprises section of the awards.

Bridging the divide

The awards seek to bridge the technology divide by promoting the emergence of black-owned technologically innovative organisations by identifying such enterprises and highlighting their achievements, and promoting the involvement of women in technologically innovative enterprises. The Emerging Enterprises section that has seen the fastest growth since the TT100 initiated a major focus on the small and medium enterprise sector in 2001.

As South Africa's benchmark of business excellence, the TT100 is raising awareness of the critical need for our companies to embrace the management of technology, innovation and people in a sustainable manner. It offers companies the opportunity to measure their achievements against the best in the country and to showcase their exciting technological initiatives to the nation, regardless of the industries they operate in.