Western Cape Business 2017 edition

FOCUS Celebrating export

FOCUS Celebrating export excellence The well-established Western Cape Exporter of the Year Competition, hosted by the Cape Chamber and sponsored by the ECIC, highlights the diversity of export products originating in the province. Finalists and winners at the ECIC/Cape Chamber Western Cape Exporter of the Year Competition. Abagold Ltd, the Hermanus company that breeds, grows and exports abalone by the ton, was declared the big winner at the ECIC/Cape Chamber Western Cape Exporter of the Year Competition at the gala dinner held on 13 October 2016 at the prestigious Cape Sun. The Cape Chamber, which has served as the host for the awards for 26 years, serves, enables and leads business in the region. The Export Credit Insurance Corporation (ECIC) is the headline sponsor of the competition and an underwriter of export credit loans and investments. The theme for the evening was “out of this world”, and it was indeed an intergalactic experience. Incidentally, as the first African into space, Mark Shuttlelworth’s company, Thawte, was a previous competition winner (and sold to VeriSign shortly thereafter for R3.5-billion). The 12 finalists for the 2016 awards included: WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017 60

FOCUS • Abagold Ltd, the world’s largest abalone producer outside Asia • Afrinatural Holding, producers of natural botanical ingredients from all over Africa • All Women Recycling, transforming plastic waste into beautiful handicrafts • Bassalicious, producers of a range of vibrant and tasteful natural sauces • Chimpel, an innovative design and manufacturing company producing exotic leather merchandise • Franz Falke Textiles, producers of socks and fine hosiery • Geo Data Design, a geospatial solution provider providing industry-leading geographic solutions tailor-made for Africa • JF Hillebrand, an international service provider specialising in the logistics of beer, wine, spirits and keg supply chain management • Klein Karoo International, the world’s leading producer of ostrich goods, including meat, leather, feathers and by-products • Mervyn Gers Ceramics, specialits in bespoke dinnerware designed in collaboration with award-winning chefs • Oh Voila design, manufacture, retail and wholesale of affordable fashion jewellery, accessories and corporate handmade gifts • Peninsula Drums, specialises in the manufacture and reconditioning of metal and plastic drums as well as bulk containers • Technical Systems, a key manufturer and world-wide distributor of livestock feeding equipment Abagold Ltd won both the overall prize for excellence in exporting, which included R50 000 in cash and the Cape Chamber award for the best nonmanufacturing company. For the first time in the history of the competition, there was a tie for second place with Franz Falke Textiles, which won R20 000 worth of IT assistance from Auric Consulting, and Geo Data Design winning a R20 000 branding refresh supplied by Fable Design (also an Auric Consulting company). The Transnet Port Terminals Trophy for the best engineering/manufacturing company went to Franz Falke Textiles (Pty) Ltd. The company makes 8.5-million pairs of running socks, mostly for the United States market and is the first textile company to be an export winner for many years. Geo Data Design (Pty) Ltd, a company that interprets satellite images and information, won the Credit Guarantee Small Exporter Trophy and the Gerald Wolman Trophy for excellence in exporting to African countries. It also shared the overall second prize with Franz Falke Textiles (Pty) Ltd. Another double winner was Technical Systems (Pty) Ltd, which manufactures automated feeding systems for intensive pig and poultry farms. It won the Bonitas Innovation Trophy and the SAGITA Trophy for excellence in design. The Nedbank Trophy for Transformation went to Bassalicious (Pty) Ltd, a company that produces and exports quality sauces. The Exporter of the Year is not judged on the volume or value of product produced, but on excellence in exporting. This creates a level playing field for both big and small exporters. For the 2016 competition, we did some arithmetic and found that the entrants earned more than R3-billion in foreign exchange for the Western Cape. The finalists alone brought in more than R1.7-billion! Add to that the previous entrants that continue to export, and we are looking at many billions of rands brought into the Western Cape economy. Also, the provincial government and the City of Cape Town are keen to promote business and go out of their way to make it a little easier to get things done. The Chamber believes that this kind of teamwork and quality of enterprise and innovation shown by our exporters will make for a better future for us all. Here’s to the 27th Exporter of the Year in 2017! For more information on the 2017 Exporter of the Year competition, please email Mary-Jean Thomas-Johnson at mary-jean@ capechamber.co.za or contact her on +27 21 402 4300. 61 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2017