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Presidents and pioneers honoured at the National Business Awards

The 14th annual National Business Awards gave business and government leaders the red carpet treatment, when they gathered to honour South Africa's most innovative and fast-growing companies.
National Business Awards 2016 winners
National Business Awards 2016 winners

The Awards took place at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg. Over the past 13 years, the National Business Awards has celebrated - in association with the publication Top Performing Companies - South Africa's most inspiring and dynamic companies and organisations, across various industry sectors.

Employment services and activations company, Isilumko Staffing Solutions, took home the Customer Focus Award as well as the Diversity in the Workplace Award. Security and construction company, Calvin and Family Group, sped off with the Fast Growth Award - the company has grown tremendously; branching out into commercial, civil and retail development, and more recently into low-cost housing, schools, stadiums, water and sanitation. Adding to the Fast Growth Award, Calvin Mathibeli, Founder of the Calvin and Family Group, was announced as the Top Young Executive of the Year sponsored by TUMI.

National Business Awards winners are acknowledged on the basis of innovative business practices, product development, enterprise, sustainability and the overall success of the business. In addition, they are recognised for their social and environmental contributions through excellence of service, commitment to customers, ethical behaviour and environmental sustainability. Topco Media CEO, Ralf Fletcher, congratulated the winners and finalists and encouraged the spirit of entrepreneurship: "To stand out in today's business environment, you have to be able to do what you do differently from your competitors. You must have a ground-breaking, innovative modus operandi" He spoke, also, of the importance of knowing your purpose, to sustain success: "it is the motivation behind every single thing you do. It's the reason why you started doing what you do in the first place, and the reason you'll do it tomorrow, next year and for as long as you are humanly capable".

McKinsey & Company are at the forefront of their sector as transformation champions, and implement skills development programmes within their organisation. The company walked away with top honours last night, when they were announced as the National Business of Year. Previous winners of this accolade include EOH Holdings, Woolworths, Kelly Group and Kumba Iron Ore.

Keynote speaker and Minister in the Presidency of South Africa, Jeff Radebe; the Honourable Baleka Mbete; Dr Mathews Phosa; Asher Bohbot and Bonang Mohale, amongst many other leaders, joined in to celebrate the finalists and winners. Billion Group, Liberty Corporate, National School of Government are some of the big names who partnered with the National Business Awards.

The highlight of the evening saw President Thabo Mbeki, former President of the Republic of South Africa, being awarded the highly esteemed Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Public Sector Manager, for his many contributions to bettering our nation during and after his nine years as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa.

Full winners list

Corporate Citizenship AwardBritehouse SSD
Customer Focus AwardIsilumko Staffing Solutions
Sustainability AwardOld Mutual Investment Group
Fast Growth Award Calvin & Family Group
Innovation Through Technology AwardAbsa Life
Investing in People AwardRichfield Graduate Institute of Technology
Diversity in the Workplace AwardIsilumko Staffing Solutions
Infrastructure Development Award Sponsored by BillionSentech
Transport & Logistics AwardUnitrans
Top Performing Public Service Award Sponsored by National School of GovernmentCoega Development Corporation
Top Performing Business Leader of the Year AwardRan Neu-Ner – The Creative Counsel
Top Performing Entrepreneur of 2016 Award Sponsored by Liberty CorporateMothobi Seseli – Argon Asset Management
Top Young Executive of the year Award (<40 Years) Sponsored by TUMICalvin Mathibeli – Calvin & Family Group
National Business of the Year AwardMcKinsey & Company
Lifetime Achiever Award Sponsored by Public Sector ManagerFormer President Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki

Topco Media
DYNAMIC BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA Topco Media is one of South Africa's leading business-to-business media houses, producing high profile, relevant conferences and awards. Our conferences include Africa Tech Week, Standard Bank Top Women, Top Empowerment, Future of HR, National Business Awards and Future of Sustainability. We also produce authoritative and informative business and investment publications such as Top 500, Top Empowerment, Nelson Mandela 100 years to name a few.
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