Entrepreneurs honoured as Ernst & Young and Rand Merchant Bank declare the finalists
Entrepreneurs honoured as Ernst & Young and Rand Merchant Bank declare the finalists in the 2007 South African Chapter of the
World Entrepreneur Awards
Ernst & Young has announced the names of the nine finalists who will contend for the prestigious titles of South Africa's Best Entrepreneur and Emerging Entrepreneur for 2007.
Both the Emerging and Best Entrepreneur categories in the SA Chapter of the Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Awards Programme are co-sponsored by Rand Merchant Bank.
The finalists for the Best Entrepreneur category are, in alphabetical order:
Alan Knott-Craig, CEO of Vodacom;
Mark Levy, Chairman, and Brett Levy, CEO, of Blue Label Investments;
Ndaba Ntsele of CEO Pamodzi Investment Holdings;
Johannes (Jannie) Mouton, Executive Chairman of PSG Group; and
Iqbal Surve, Chairman and CEO of Sekunjalo Investments.
In the Emerging Entrepreneur category, the finalists are, in alphabetical order:
Patrick Dickens, MD of Centurion Systems
Grant Dutton, MD of Vida e Caffe
Angel Jones, Creative Director, and Nina Morris, MD, of Morrisjones&Co
Allan Reddy, Chairman and CEO of SA Roadlink
Announcing the names of the finalists, Ernst & Young's director of Entrepreneurial Initiatives, Zanele Xaba, says that the selection process was once again a significant undertaking as a result of the immense talent in the country. The quality of the candidates made the selection process a challenging one.
The Best Entrepreneur Category of the World Entrepreneur Awards has been running in South Africa for the past ten years, while the Emerging Entrepreneur category is in its third successful year in 2007.
The Ernst & Young World Entrepreneur Awards celebrate entrepreneurs who are building and leading successful, dynamic businesses. The World Entrepreneur Awards culminate in an annual gala banquet in Monte Carlo in June each year, where winning entrepreneurs from over 38 countries around the world compete for one of the most coveted global business awards.
"Participants in the awards will enjoy both tangible and intangible benefits. The winner of South Africas Best Entrepreneur category, to be announced on the 15th of November, will have the privilege of representing the country on the global stage at the awards in Monte Carlo in June 2008. The country winners gain access to an exclusive entrepreneurial community that includes world-class entrepreneurs from around the world. It also presents a good networking and learning opportunity," says Xaba.
Previous winners of South Africa's Best Entrepreneur include Stephen Saad of Aspen Pharmacare, Brian Joffe of the Bidvest Group Limited and Koos Bekker of Naspers Limited. Bill Lynch of Imperial Holdings, South Africa's Best Entrepreneur in 2005, went on to be the first South African to win the global award in Monte Carlo in 2006.
Past winners in the Emerging Entrepreneur category in 2005 and 2006 include Brandon Leigh of Leaf Wireless and Fulton Ramaphakela of Moloko Group, respectively.
Jessica Spira, Business Development director for RMB says that the calibre of candidates selected for 2007 is a clear indication of the dynamic culture of entrepreneurship in South Africa.
Spira concludes: "These individuals have taken giant leaps into the unknown to promote positive mindsets through the creation of effective enterprises which provide employment and a livelihood for many South Africans."
Social Entrepreneurship
The contribution made by social entrepreneurs in developing the second economy and assist in eradicating poverty must not be underestimated. As a result, Ernst & Young and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship are pleased to recognise the efforts and achievements of these individuals through the annual South African Social Entrepreneur awards, and are proud to announce this years finalists:
Taffy Adler, MD of Johannesburg Housing Company
Cedric Buffler, MD of Micro-MBA
Natalie Killassy, CEO of Stitchwise
Helen Lieberman, Honorary President, and Sipho Puwani, CEO, of Ikamva Labantu
In its second year in South Africa, the Social Entrepreneur Awards are an element of Ernst & Youngs World Entrepreneur Awards Programme, and the winner in this category will also be announced on 15 November 2007.
