Winners of 4th annual Absa/Business Day supplier development awards announced

Winners of the 4th Annual Absa Business Day Supplier Development Awards were announced on Thursday, with SA’s largest food producer Tiger Brands the overall winner.

Retail group Spar picked up the award for rural and township focus, while the Covid-19 recovery award went to Distell, SA's biggest liquor producer.

The awards programme aims to recognise companies which are making significant strides in terms of their supplier development initiatives, by acknowledging those who go beyond the scorecard, fostering learning, showcasing best practice and encouraging intersectoral collaboration to create scale and impact.

The newcomer award went to project management group Uyandiswa Project Management Services, while miner Exxaro Resources scooped up the emerging technology award.

Anglo American Zimele, Anglo American’s development initiative, won the youth focus award, while the women focus award went to Empact Group, which is owned by Thebe Investment Corporation, SA’s oldest BEE group. Empact’s interests range from pest control to food services and facilities management.

“At Absa we are particularly pleased that since their launch in 2018, the Supplier Development Awards have grown significantly — in their importance, number of participants and, more importantly, their impact,” said Vusi Fele, chief procurement officer at Absa, in a statement.

“The increased interest from companies wanting to be part of the learning ecosystem and the high quality of this year’s finalists, indicates that supplier development is becoming recognised as a valuable strategic lever to drive inclusive growth”, says Catherine Wijnberg, CEO of Fetola and initiator of the awards.

For the first time the awards had been extended to include nominations from Sub-Saharan Africa.

gernetzkyk@businesslive.co.za