South African Civil Aviation Authority

Whenever you land safely after a plane trip, you should whisper a “thank you” to SACAA, the authority responsible for keeping us all safe in the skies. This organisation is committed to bringing more South Africans into aviation careers – and invested R15 million in training in the 2017 financial year. For showing young South Africans the sky is no limit, South African Civil Aviation Authority is the well-deserved winner.

Xoliswa Daku – Daku Group of Companies

Xoliswa Daku is the visionary founder and CEO of 100%-black-owned Daku Group of Companies, which has built up a huge portfolio in its decade and more of growth. This Masters and MBA holder is redrawing South Africa’s urban map by turning empty or underutilised spaces into bustling residential and business developments. She has many additional current leadership roles, amongst which Board Member of the Western Cape Economic Development Partnership; Member of the Institute of Directors and Council Member of the National Home Builders Regulatory Council. This win follows her award for Top Woman in Property at the August 2017 Standard Bank Top Women Awards.

Liquorice

A DIGITAS LBI COMPANY

Liquorice, one of Africa’s leading digital marketing agencies, specialises in web, mobile, social media, CRM, content creation and search engine marketing. Founded in 2005 by Miles Murphy, the agency has long-term relationships with clients including Unilever, Sanlam and Pioneer Foods. In 2014 it was acquired by DigitasLBi, the world’s largest digital network. Disruptive, innovative and always pushing the boat out further, Liquorice has earned every pixel of Digital Company of the Year status.

Woolworths Holdings Limited

This year, Woolworths Holdings Limited celebrates a decade of its pioneering Good Business Journey; one of SA’s flagship sustainability programmes and the first of its kind. Woolworths has also embedded corporate citizenship into its overall strategy for the way business is conducted. For placing people and planet before profit, Woolworths strikes gold.

FedEx South Africa

FedEx Express South Africa is the frontrunner of the African courier industry and its contributions to creating employment, raising service standards and setting industry benchmarks have been recognised by our judges. With its network providing superior integrated express transportation services, transport category champion FedEx Express continues to drive new advances in transport.

DHL Express (Highly Commended)

LexisNexis South Africa

Sponsored by Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone

LexisNexis is a global leader in business research solutions and software for professionals in accounting, law and tax. Its clients and employees in South Africa view it as a brand that is trusted, delivers phenomenal results and generates fresh and vibrant ideas. Regular intensive training for all staff is what drives its culture of innovation – so the trophy belongs to everyone at LexisNexis SA.

Jacques Grobbelaar – Stadium Management Agency

Jacques is Chief Executive Officer of Stadium Management South Africa – the country’s leading stadium management group in charge of the iconic FNB Stadium, historic Orlando Stadium, Dobsonville Stadium and Rand Stadium. Jacques has approximately 22 years’ experience in the eventing industry and has headed up event master-planning for clients hosting major events at venues including Ellis Park, Johannesburg Stadium, Soccer City (now the FNB Stadium) and Durban’s Kings Park. Before joining SMSA, he was heavily involved in the delivery of nearly 400 major events – such as the Rolling Stones tour in 1992, the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and the African Cup of Nations in 1996. While at SMSA, Jacques has delivered a further 500 large events that have enthralled 7 million spectators. With his well-deserved 2017 National Business Awards triumph, Jacques adds to his track record of both local and international accolades.

Veronica Motloutsi – Vodacom

Veronica Motloutsi is one of the leading ICT executives in South Africa; a talented and accomplished woman leader with a deep understanding of her industry. Already respected as a thought leader in her mid-thirties, she has published two papers on ICT and is currently Executive Head of Commercial Operations for Vodacom’s International Markets, with exceptionally high levels of responsibility. Veronica is the founder of Africa Lead with Veronica Motloutsi, a digital platform aimed at challenging government, funders and policy maker to create a new digital economy that will propel Africa forward in the hyper-digital era. We can’t wait to see what she does next!

Sylvester Chauke – DNA Brand Architects (Highly Commended)

AfroCentric Health

Afrocentric Health has an array of brands under its umbrella; the largest being Medscheme. Afrocentric believes in creating an environment that is fully supportive of empowerment along both racial and gender lines. Afrocentric takes pride in furthering diversity far beyond the requirements of government legislation and has a well-deserved multicultural reputation.

Smec South Africa

While multi-disciplinary engineering giant SMEC operates in over 40 countries, its local operation is geared around meeting SA’s particular needs like technology, transport and, of course, water. SMEC is intensively involved in addressing the huge problem of ageing water infrastructure put in place decades ago. Celebrating 70 years on the ground in 2017, SMEC SA has more to celebrate thanks to its National Business Awards triumph.

ArcelorMittal South Africa (Highly Commended)

SOL KERZNER

Every year we close the ceremony with the honorary Lifetime Achiever Award. It is reserved for a leader from government or business who has made a significant contribution to the South African economy and also to the very fabric, culture and spirit of our country. Someone who is woven into its modern history. This year’s recipient is humble, thoughtful and down to earth – yet he is renowned, worldwide, as the one and only Sun King: Mr Sol Kerzner.