TBP Alexandra hosts another successful Business Leader Award...
Last year the inaugural Alexandra Business Leader of the Year Award
was held for small business owners in the Alexandra area who had been
operating for six months or more and had an annual turnover of under
R500,000.
The idea of the competition was to inspire and celebrate
small businesses as well as give the top three winners a cash
injection into their business. It was instigated by The Business Place
Alexandra in collaboration with Standard Bank Ekurhuleni Region. The
Alex Awards were so successful it was decided to repeat them this year
and also run a second event in Soweto billed as the “Gauteng Business
Leader Award 2008”.
The finalists receive
access to a Standard Bank business advisor for a year plus a year of
free trainings and workshops from The Business Place. The three
winners in each event received a capital injection of R25,000, R15,000
and R10,000 respectively into their business from Standard Bank.
The winners were announced at a gala event in the Alexsan Kopano
Centre. Kevin Pillay from Standard Bank proved to be a fantastic MC
and guest speakers included Shaun Govender, National Operations
Manager of The Business Place, Hannah Mphelo-Abbas, Provincial
Director Standard Bank and the keynote speaker, Alan Campbell, Chief
Operating Officer of FABCOS.
Gerson Rasehlo, owner of Rasehlo Transport & Tours, walked away
with the top prize. His driving school and transport business has
built up a solid reputation over the last decade and the award
recognised this sustainability and steady growth.
Asked what impact he thought this award would have on his business,
Gerson said:
“It is going to have a profound positive impact on my business. It
will help me in marketing further my business and fulfilling the
marketing initiatives I had planned.”
The second prize winner, Moipone Mogodi, runs Zongaro Communications.
This internet cafe, print and copy company is a very professional
operation and provides additional help for learners and teachers with
assignments. Third prize went to a finalist from last year, Betty
Nkutha. Her biofuels business is going from strength to strength and
it is a measure of the award’s success that there were two finalists
from last year also making it through to this year’s awards. This
collaboration with Standard Bank has been of great benefit to The
Business Place and small business owners. The commitment and
enthusiasm of Standard Bank staff ensured the success of the event and
we are looking forward to the Business Leader Awards in 2009. |
