Top Eastern Cape exporters reap awards

Creating hundreds of new jobs, increasing market share and profits and growing export turnover.

These are just some of the successes Exporter of the Year 2021 winners achieved over the past year.

The awards are organised by Exporters Eastern Cape.

Despite the challenges ushered in by the global pandemic, top companies continued to reap the fruits of their labour by continuing to invest in the region while implementing Covid-19 support measures and ensuring sustainable environmental business practices.

The overall winner of the Exporter of the Year 2021 was announced on Friday as the Acoustex Group, a Gqeberha-based manufacturer of automotive components which it exports to 12 countries.

Over the past year, the Acoustex Group increased its direct and indirect export turnover by 24% and achieved a Level 1 BBBEE rating.

In addition to acquiring a company to form a new product line to diversify its business, staff and customer commitments remained the group’s priorities.

Acoustex Group commercial director Andre Swartbooi said it was particularly important to keep the company’s  people safe when the country went into lockdown last year.

“We supported our staff and streamlined the business.

“We focused on growing during difficult times and tried to find solutions with our customers in mind.

“We benefited from localisation during the Covid-19 period and changed our focus from a moment of panic to finding solutions.

“We didn’t expect to win as there was a record number of entries, and we were up against the best, but we are very grateful,” Swartbooi said.

Exporters Eastern Cape chair Quintin Levey said the awards, in the 26th year, were hosted annually to acknowledge the achievements of exporters and service providers in the province.

“Despite the pandemic, we have seen some very strong entries this year for Exporter of the Year, with the highest number of entries since 2013.

“It is very positive to see the strategic innovation implemented by our entrants as well as the efforts made to limit the number of jobs lost in the time, while looking after the health and wellbeing of their employees,” Levey said.

The judges for the SJM Flex Environmental Awards were Elmar Thiart (AIDC), Antonio McMaster (SJM Flex) and Mark Morgutti (SJM Flex).

The independent judges for all other awards were Dr Randall Jonas (Nelson Mandela University Business School), Justin Ries (FNB), Sujit Bhagattjee (Transnet), Hoosain Mahomed (AIDC), Kingsley Dell-Robertson (IDC), Prince Matonsi (Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber) and Levey.

The Awards ceremony was hosted online with an interactive live event, which was presented by MC Gareth Burley.

Sponsors were Volkswagen Group SA (Gold Sponsor), Oracle Media (Gold Sponsor), Isuzu Motors SA (Silver Sponsor), the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber (Silver Sponsor), the Industrial Development Corporation (Bronze Sponsor), DG Incentives (Blue Sponsor), and SJM Flex SA (Blue Sponsor).

The media sponsors for the awards were Kingfisher FM, The Herald and ManMade Radio.

Prize sponsors included Knysna Forest View, Raggy Charters, Berlin Restaurant, Goldberg & De Villiers, Criss Cross Adventures, Love Box, Heritage Framers, Nutritech and Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism.

Exporters Eastern Cape Exporter of the Year 2021 Merit Awards and Winners:

SJM Flex Environmental Award (this category is for exporters who have environmental accreditation and who pursue excellence in environmental management):

• Merit Award — Coega Development Corporation
• Merit Award — Purem Port Elizabeth
• Merit Award — Isuzu Motors SA
• Winner — Volkswagen Group SA

IDC Job Creation Award (for exporters who created the most new sustainable jobs over the past year):

• Merit Award — Lumotech
• Merit Award — Sovereign Foods
• Merit Award — Isuzu Motors SA
• Merit Award — S4 Development Services
• Winner — SMA Engineering SA0

Best Provider of Service to Exporters (for service providers to the export industry, usually forwarding and clearing agents, shipping lines and agents, other forms of transport including courier, insurance agents, underwriters and financial services providers):

• Merit Award for Awards won and Achievements — Oracle Media
• Merit Award for New Contracts — Coega Development Corporation
• Winner — Toyota Industrial Equipment

 Best Exporter — Small Business (for direct and indirect exporters with export turnover up to R25m):

• Winner — OPM Tooling Import & Export CC

Best Exporter — Medium Enterprise (This category is for direct and indirect exporters with an export turnover between R25m and R200m):

• Winner — Acoustex Group

Best Exporter — Corporate (for direct and indirect exporters with an export turnover greater than R200m):

• Merit Award for Improvement in Profitability — Purem Port Elizabeth (Eberspacher SA)
• Merit Award for Increase in Export Turnover and Profitability — San Miguel Fruits SA
• Winner — SMA Engineering SA

Best Exporter — OEM (for manufacturers of original equipment for the automotive industry.):

• Merit Award for Skills Development and Transformation Initiatives — Isuzu Motors SA
• Winner — Volkswagen Group SA

Exporter of the Year — Overall Winner (the entity that in the judges’ opinion achieved the most success in the period.)

• Winner — Acoustex Group 

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