The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe sang the praises of a KwaZulu-Natal businesswoman for flying the South African flag high in the Africa SMME Awards that was held in Benoni, Gauteng recently.
Thabethe was addressing businesspeople that she is leading on an Investment and Trade Initiative to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Kinshasa last night. She singled out Nelly Shezi after her company scooped Africa SMME of the Year Award in the continental competition. She romped home with two trophies after winning the Best Industrial Sector category.
“I am proud to announce that we have an award-winning businesswoman amongst us here tonight who really did this country proud by conquering Africa and won a prestigious award,” said Thabethe who continued to extol Shezi’s virtues describing her as a good ambassador for all entrepreneurs and an inspiration to all businesswomen in South Africa.
“We need more dedicated, hard-working and persevering entrepreneurs of the calibre of Shezi in South Africa who are prepared to put their shoulders on the wheel and work hard for the success of their businesses. Being crowned the best small enterprise in Africa is an impressive achievement that will inspire other entrepreneurs, particularly women in South Africa and the continent in general,” added Thabethe.
Shezi, an unassuming but industrious Managing Director of Elegance Line Chemicals, a Durban-based chemicals-manufacturing company, said she was humbled and honoured by Thabethe’s unexpected recognition.
Elegant Line Chemicals manufactures and distributes, within the SADC region, a variety of chemical products which include domestic and industrial commodity chemicals; lubricants, personal care products and water treatment solutions. In addition, the company also provides in-service training to fifteen undergraduates and post graduates students during which valuable skills are transferred.
Shezi is in Kinshasa where she is part of the 34-member businesspeople that are participating in the ITI to explore possible markets for their products and services. Last week, she was in China where she participated in international exhibitions which were also organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (the dti) in Beijing and Shanghai.
“I did not expect to win the award as the competition was extremely tough with all the thirty finalists having their sights firmly set on the top prize. But we are proud of this memorable achievement as it means that we are on the right track and in the right direction as a company. We are aspiring to graduate from the small enterprise to being one of the biggest companies in the continent,” said Shezi who added that the judges of the competition could also have been impressed by the corporate social initiatives that her company has undertaken as a way of contributing to the betterment of various communities in and around Durban.
Her company has also established branches in Johannesburg, Kokstad, Angola, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. They are currently in the throes of opening branches in Mpumalanga, Botswana, and Zambia with the aim of eventually being establishing presence in the whole of the SADC region. She is hoping her mission to the DRC will also bear fruits. Ms Nelly Shezi Managing Director of Elegance Line Chemicals based in Durban.
Deputy Minister Elizabeth Thabethe with a representative from Africa Growth Institute handing over the overall Africa SMME of the Year Award to Ms Nelly Shezi earlier this month.
Enquiries:
Sidwell Medupe
Departmental Spokesperson
Cell: 079 492 1774
Tel: 012 394 1650
E-mail: MSMedupe@thedti.gov.za
Twitter: @the_dti
