Indian-Origin Businesses Dominate Commonwealth Business Awards

Johannesburg, Aug 19 (PTI) Indian-origin business leaders and women empowerment drivers from a dozen Commonwealth countries dominated at the Business Excellence Awards 2024 hosted here.

Over 60 awards were handed out on Saturday in various categories at the event hosted for the first time on the African continent after taking place in Singapore last year.

More than half of them were scooped up by Indian-origin businesses and individuals from South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Dubai and Mauritius.

“The Commonwealth Business Excellence Award aims to recognise your successes on the path to global best-in-class business performance,” organisers said.

“The awards also recognise the important social and environmental contributions made by organisations through the excellence of service, commitment to their customers, philanthropic ideals, ethical behaviour, and environmental sustainability,” it added.

The awards ended two days of activity that saw about 400 business, civil society and political leaders gather to discuss with industry-leading solution providers and financial institutions ways to discover opportunities for transformative partnerships and accelerated growth.

The inaugural African event was coordinated by South African Indian-origin businessman Vinesh Sukhari, the Executive Chairman of Expo International, who offered to host it in South Africa soon after he won an award at the last one in Singapore.

“Let us remember that business excellence is not just about individual success, but also about the positive impact on our communities, the environment and society.

“Our awardees have demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision and dedication in their craft. They have shown us that with hard work, perseverance and the commitment to excellence, we can achieve greatness,” Sukhari said at the event which focused on the Fintech industry.

“These awards will inspire, challenge and motivate us to do better. They remind us that business excellence is not just about profit, but about purpose, passion and making a difference. Our award winners have shown us that with courage and determination, we can turn ideas into reality and create a better future,” he added.

One of the South African winners, Indian-origin Sammy Naidoo, a pioneer in the printing industry and a philanthropist for decades, concurred with Sukhari.

“The success of our Apple Group of Companies has been based on giving back to the community that enabled our success,” said Naidoo, who is the Group Chairman of the company, as he quoted St Francis of Assisi's statement that ‘it is in giving that we receive'.

“It was very pleasing to learn as we interacted with so many awardees from all these countries that they share this philosophy because giving and receiving is like a continuous circle and is always gratifying,” Naidoo shared.