Partnership boosts Jet Community Awards

“We are excited about our partnership with e.tv, and we hope it will go a long way,” Garth Napier, Edcon's discount division marketing and business strategy executive, told Bizcommunity.com yesterday, Wednesday 4 November 2009, on the sidelines of the seventh Jet Community Awards in Johannesburg.

The awards ceremony, held at the Edcon's headquarters, honoured seven community-based organisations for their ‘outstanding' contributions to community upliftment.

Napier said that e.tv will give Jet Community Awards a five-minute slot on their morning programme Sunrise in exchange for brand exposure in their publication Jet Club Magazine.

The Jet Stores-owned publication has some 5.8 million readers, according to its editor Thandi Gweba-Philisane.

Acknowledging those doing good works

Vasili Vass, e.tv head of publicity, told Bizcommunity.com: “As a media partner e.tv has created awareness around this initiative on our morning show Sunrise with the hosts Graeme and Sindy attending the awards and interviewing the winners.

“In addition, e.tv arranged a tour for the winners to visit the Scandal and Rhythm City studios this afternoon after the awards.”

He added: “e.tv is proud to be associated with this initiative and would like to acknowledge those projects and grassroots organisations that are doing good for our country. It is important that we recognise the positive work being done which is helping our communities.”

Edcon said the seven 2009 winners were selected from 42 exceptional regional finalists from across southern Africa, after a 24-day Jet Community Awards Convoy visited each of the regional winners as part of the first of its kind national road show to pay tribute to this year's community heroes.

The convoy, under the vibe of TV personality Fezile Mpela and community leaders from each of the competitions' 13 regions, travelled 6018 km from Soweto to Ga-Rankuwa.

The winners, the prizes

All 42 regional winners received each R15 000, while seven national winners - honoured at yesterday's event - took home R75 000 each in cash, including R1000 in Jet shopping vouchers.

The national winners, drawn from 900 entries from SA, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho and Swaziland, are:

• Grade 12 Prosperity Project, from Mmakau, North West (education)
  
• Ubumbano Health Care, from Melmoth, Kwazulu Natal (healthcare )
  
• Tshedisanang from Bultfontein in the Free State Province (disabilities)
  
• DDL School Wear Specialist, from Polokwane, Limpopo (women in business)
  
• NQ Jewellery Design Services, from Germiston, Johannesburg in Gauteng Province (Vukuzenzele Youth in Small Businesses Category)
  
• Hules Brickmoulding ,from Ntlahantlhe in Lobatse, Botswana (small business in rural areas category)
  
• Zuzulwazi Environmental Organisation, from Umhlabuyanlingana, Kwa-Zulu Natal (environmental waste management category)

Watch Jet Community Awards 2009 on e.tv's Sunrise from 6am.