Premier’s Entrepreneurship Recognition Awards finalists announced
The finalists of the Western Cape’s most prestigious entrepreneurship competition have been announced.
Alan Winde, MEC of Economic Opportunities, congratulated the 33 finalists in the Premier’s Entrepreneurship Recognition Awards (PERA).
The total prize money up for grabs this year is just over R2 million.
The awards ceremony at which the winners will be announced is set to take place on 23 November at the Century City Conference Centre.
Launched in 2013, PERA is an initiative of the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, through which we honour excellence in entrepreneurship.
MEC Winde: “PERA continues to go from strength to strength. This year, we’ve had 333 entries, and since the launch in 2013, we have received 1 041 entries. We know that once you enter the competition, you start to think differently. With that comes a focus on finding innovative ways to improve your enterprise.”
Premier Helen Zille said: “Entrepreneurs are the engine room of our economy, they employ 500 000 people in this province. That is why since 2009, we have supported over 35 000 small businesses to grow. PERA forms part our suite of services for entrepreneurs and celebrates the important role they play in our economy. I wish every finalist well, and thank all entrants for their role in growing the economy and creating jobs.”
There are 11 categories this year. In each category, three finalists were selected. A winner will be announced in each category.
The overall winner will receive a cash prize and an overseas trip relevant to their field of expertise. The initiative also provides a platform for promotion and networking for entrepreneurs.
A panel of ten judges scored the finalists on a set of criteria including growth, jobs, innovation, industry relevance, sustainability, creativity and socio-economic impact.
Please see below the 2016 PERA finalists:
Best emerging business
Outsourced CFO - Cape Town
Louw Barnardt
Outsourced CFO is a financial management boutique of chartered accountants that provides technical and visionary financial function services to small businesses.
The business is managed by Louw Barnardt (CEO) and fellow directors Dana Pretorius and Jacques le Grange.
As newer and younger companies cannot afford to appoint an appropriately qualified professional to navigate this facet of their business, Outsourced CFO offers tailored financial management.
The team of chartered accountants and professional accountants have successfully executed contracts with global corporate companies like Microsoft.
All Power Systems - Somerset West
Jay Naidoo
All Power System supports businesses to develop environmentally green buildings that require less electricity and use more sustainable energy.
Their services include providing audits; consultations; negotiating better tariffs; smart meters; designing solutions for the installation of renewables such as solar and offering after-sales support.
They also offer financial management by off-setting projects costs with the use of innovative financial tools.
Pure Good Food - Observatory
Shannon Smuts
Pure Good Food is a corporate catering business providing affordable and ethically produced meals to working professionals in Cape Town. They source fresh, local, seasonal produce. One of their core values is that healthy employees make for strong teams.
Best established business
Kilowatt Audio Visual - Ndabeni
Dillon Jearey
Founded in 2007 by Dillon Jearey, Kilowatt AV is a high-end audio-visual equipment specialist company.
Their products and services include: equipment supply, video mapping, innovation, project management, conceptualisation, sales and installations, registration systems and set manufacturing.
Kilowatt AV has grown to be a significant and innovative player in the industry, servicing more than 700 events annually and prominent brands such as Old Mutual, Red Bull and Famous Brands.
Auto Magneto - Ndabeni
Lamees Ismail
Auto Magneto is a family-owned and managed business that specialises in the wholesale and retail supply of quality auto-electrical products and accessories throughout Africa. They are centrally based in Ndabeni, Cape Town, and offer a reliable delivery service.
Their workshop and fitment centre offers services for passenger vehicles, light- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, construction and mining machinery and equipment, and marine and agricultural equipment.
Lamees Ismail is the Managing Director, Jason Magnet the Sales Manager, and Bonita Dodgen and Kurt Magnet are Directors.
Polymorph Systems - Stellenbosch
Richard Barry
Polymorph Systems (Pty) Ltd is a South African-based mobile development company that creates high-quality mobile applications for the global market.
They have been involved in big enterprise system development and have been actively involved in providing native and cross-platform mobile solutions to clients since 2009. Their clients and partners are companies that create products in the wearables, IoT, and M2M spaces and they specialise in creating apps for hardware products, and are involved in the whole process, from UX, UI design and development through to product testing.
Richard Barry is the CEO, Wim Morris the COO and Colin Payne the CCO.
Most innovative business
MEDO Space - Cape Town
Judi Sandrock
The MEDO SPACE Women in STEM Programme is aimed at female high school learners from underserved communities to encourage them to pursue STEM careers (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths). This programme provides after-hours workshops highlighting the learning materials available on the internet.
The basis of the programme is the purchase by MEDO Holdings of a small-format satellite and launch for late 2017, followed by a series of partnered satellite projects and launches to 2020. MEDO SPACE has partnered with Morehead State University in Kentucky, USA on their Women in STEM Programme.
Judi Sandrock is currently the Joint CEO of MEDO Space, a non-profit organisation.
Little Mermaids Swim School - Tokai
Rushana Hartnick
Rushana Hartnick opened Little Mermaids’ doors in 2012 with a vision to create a swimming education centre of excellence where children and adults can learn more about this life skill and the health benefits of swimming. Rushana Hartnick engaged with more than 20 crèches in the immediate environment of her pool in Strandfontein Village.
Little Mermaid’s services include: moms and tots swimming classes, learning to swim, stroke correction, squad classes, crèche initiatives and aqua aerobics. There is also a yearly swim gala event where all the children can enjoy a fun day with their parents.
The goal is to reach the primary and secondary schools as well.
Praelexis - Stellenbosch
McElory Hoffmann
“Crafters of machine learning” is the way that Praelexis describes its data scientists, all of them accomplished engineers, mathematicians and scientists.
Praelexis uses a proprietary machine learning platform to empower clients to become data-driven organisations. With this platform, they are therefore able to craft custom solutions in various industries. Currently, Praelexis has products and solutions in education, banking, and insurance, all built on their machine learning platform.
McElory Hoffmann (CEO) is an entrepreneur and the initiator of Praelexis, and he co-founded the company in October 2012. Georgie Farmer is a Director in the company and Christo de Witt a Director (chairperson of the board) and angel investor.
Best job-creating business
Barrydale Hand Weavers - Barrydale
Carol Morris
Carol Morris has been working with textiles for the last 30 years, and eventually set up her fabric design business in Barrydale, in the Klein Karoo. The business trains previously unskilled people in weaving techniques. Barrydale Weavers now employs people from the local community.
The products are all woven by hand giving a quality, textured feel that can’t be reproduced with mass-produced textiles. The rugs are made by up-cycling cotton waste from textile companies. The weavers now supply 150 other retail outlets in South Africa and the demand is growing. Export orders have gone to New Zealand, Ireland, Australia and Norway.
Doring Bay Abalone - Doring Bay
Ruben Saul
Doringbay Abalone (DBA) was established in 2011 and commenced operations in 2013. The company currently produces about 20 tonnes of abalone per year and has existing infrastructure to expand production output to 50 tonnes. DBA’s management consists of Wayne Cooke, Auburn Malakaza, Albe Moelich and Ruben Saul who manage the day-to-day operations of the business.
The Doringbay Development Trust which is represented by Ruben Saul owes 35% equity in the company whilst the other 65% is owned collectively by the other three shareholders mentioned. The company is a 55% black-owned company, which makes it the only majority black-owned, land-based abalone farm in South Africa, and importantly the only land-based abalone farm in the country with meaningful equity participation by a local community.
The Doringbay Development Trust was established in 2008 and represents 650 members.
Computers 4 Kids - Tokai
Russell Pengelly
Computers 4 Kids is an educational ICT company that was formed in 1995 by Russell Pengelly, a qualified special needs educator. Computers 4 Kids provides a unique integrated ICT curriculum, teacher training and ongoing support to primary and high schools in South Africa as well as 24 countries across the globe.
Based in Cape Town, Computers 4 Kids currently services well over 500 schools in southern Africa on a monthly contractual basis. The company has successfully trained in excess of 18 000 teachers and over 6 000 000 learners in South Africa over the years.
Curricular materials have been localised for the various countries in which they operate (South Africa, Angola, Tanzania, Namibia, Swaziland, Botswana, Ghana, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, etc.) and have also been translated into French, Portuguese and Spanish.
Business with global reach
NewSpace Systems - Somerset West
James Barrington-Brown
NewSpace Systems develop and manufacture products for the space market. They specialise in attitude control systems, which require optical and magnetic sensors and magnetic and motor-driven actuators.
Products have to be extremely reliable as they have to operate in the harsh space environment with no opportunity for being serviced or repaired once in orbit. In addition to built-in design reliability, the units are all manufactured to the most exacting standards by artisans trained up to the highest level of assembly skills, European Space Agency (ECSS) standards.
It is believed that this capability is unique in Africa. NewSpace technicians work in an anti-static clean room facility in Somerset West, with a number of advanced manufacturing techniques used to ensure maximum product longevity.
Two years ago, NewSpace CEO James Barrington-Brown moved and brought a UK-based space manufacturing company to the Western Cape. The company has now grown to 15 employees and it exports worldwide.
Warthog Blade Sharpeners cc - George
Hein Pretorius
Warthog Blade Sharpeners was started with the simple aim of creating a better knife sharpener. They began operating in 1999 and have been manufacturing and exporting their patented high-quality diamond knife sharpeners for more than 10 years.
In 2000, Warthog designed and manufactured the first V-Sharp™ (now called the V-Sharp Classic™), and they also designed and produced the V-Sharp Xtreme Edge™, a high-quality sharpener in a smaller and more affordable package.
As this sharpener is smaller and portable, it is the perfect all-rounder and chefs, hunters and fishermen have all found it to be the perfect companion tool. It’s also ideal for home and general use and the Xtreme Edge™ has become popular over a large spectrum of the sharpening market.
The Warthog office and factory is located in George in South Africa, employing 25 workers with modern machinery and equipment and producing 250 000 units per annum.
Rain Africa - Swellendam
Bev Missing
Rain Africa was started by Bev Missing in August 1999 in Ladybrand in the Eastern Free State. It grew from one person making soaps in a garage to a proudly South African international brand with its head office in Swellendam and branches in Manhattan in New York, USA, as well as Amsterdam.
Her business partners Simon and Hendrien Dewhurst are former South Africans and they manage the New York-based store located in the prestigious Rockefeller Centre.
The business is rooted in manufacturing as that was the vehicle through which the business could create employment opportunities for the underprivileged.
The business develops packaging and products that are intensively handmade, and their production cycle is deliberately low-tech and labour intensive as packaging and products are hand-made by trained crafters. They support small, local suppliers and producers and the wild ingredients are hand-harvested by women.
Best social enterprise
Oasis Association - Claremont
Gail Bester
Moderate, mild, severe or profound intellectual disability affects approximately 3% of all people worldwide. In 1952, a group of parents found a solution to the problem of their children being excluded from mainstream society when they started their own school – an oasis – for children with intellectual disability.
Today Oasis Association is a model of integrated services. They provide employment opportunities, skills development training, daycare centres and residential homes for over 450 men, women and children in the greater Cape Town area, and 85% of their beneficiaries are black.
Their mission is to enable persons with intellectual disability to realise their fullest potential at each stage of their development, and thereby become as independent and productive as possible within the community.
Shonaquip and Uhambo - Plumstead
Shona McDonald
Established in 1992 by Shona McDonald, Shonaquip was the first woman-run wheelchair business of its kind in Africa. It was established as a social enterprise to provide appropriately fitted wheelchairs for children and adults, capacity-building training for local wheelchair practitioners. They also focus on empowerment and advocacy programmes for people with disabilities living in Africa.
Shonaquip has developed from a small staff of two operating out of her garage to a well-established and reputable business that employs over 40 technicians, seamstresses and therapists.
Shonaquip devices are on government tender in South Africa, Botswana and Namibia and are exported as far afield as UAE and Georgia. Together, Shonaquip and Uhambo had nearly 20 000 direct beneficiaries in the 2015/16 financial year alone.
WasteWant Management - Elsies River
Luther Muller
WasteWant is a 100% black-owned waste management company that specialises in waste minimisation and was formed by Rowen Anderson, Lydia Anderson-Jardine and Luther Muller. They work towards a zero waste to landfill policy and also offer integrated waste management for facilities where they place staff on site, and separate waste at source.
After acquiring a waste licence, this has effectively been implemented in the community of Elsies River. They ensure that through their practices direct employment is created for the communities they operate in.
WasteWant creates jobs for people at The Haven and Elim Night shelter based in Elsies River in Cape Town.
A key component to their business is creating a shared value for residents and their outcome is based on the potential of the workforce and informal traders.
Best student business idea
OneMoola - Cape Town
Sechaba Mofokeng
Sechaba Mofokeng is a master’s student at the University of Cape Town and has created a business called OneMoola. His idea was to provide an online platform for ordinary people to set their financial goals. The platform plots the best way to achieve those goals given the user's unique circumstances and recommend the most optimum ways to achieve them.
Once the user selects the recommended options, the platform automatically connects the user with one of the best financial service providers.
The service is aimed at any South African citizen who earns an income, has a dream and would like guidance in achieving that dream. The core potential customers are people aged between 18 and 35 years.
Tutorfy - Woodstock
Nathier Abrahams
Tutorfy is a curated online marketplace aimed at parents who have trouble finding a vetted and trained tutor for their child. It is also aimed at tutors such as university students who want to engage with students and make a difference in their community, retired teachers and part-time teachers. Parents can visit www.tutorfy.co.za and view the tutor's profiles.
They then select a tutor and a package. The tutor will then come to the student’s home or tutor them online.
Parents are now able to connect with tutors on demand. Tutors that would like to volunteer in their community can also be booked through the site.
Stokvella - Cape Town
Sebastian Daniels
Stokvella is an online management application that aims to improve the security, transparency and accountability of stokvels. It provides the leader of a stokvel with a simple, easy-to-use management tool, while at the same time providing all stokvel members with complete transparency of the stokvel. Stokvella is aimed at the 11 million South Africans who use the 811 000 stokvels to pool money in order to make bulk purchases.
Stokvella is a web application and is available on both smart and basic phone. It is also SMS and USSD enabled to ensure that everyone is able to access it.
Best emerging rural business
Nexo Accounting - Plettenberg Bay
Kobie van Zyl
Nexo Accounting was founded in 2015 and is based in Plettenberg Bay. Their mission is to deliver timely and accurate information to their clients by utilising the latest accounting software and cloud technology. Cloud technology allows clients to make informed business decisions based on the latest information.
Nexo Accounting is co-owned by Kobie and Gawie van Zyl and the company specialises in accounting, bookkeeping and business management, offering a variety of services that are tailor made to assist their clients. The entire accounting system is paperless as all information is stored in the cloud and client information can be accessed anywhere in the world at the push of a button.
Anja's Pantry - Vredenburg
Annora Mostert
Formed in a small shop in the heart of Vredenburg, Western Cape in 2015, Annora Mostert has developed Anja’s Pantry into a company that has become a household name nationally. It has always been central to Anja’s philosophy to provide customers with the best of what they need, as well as convenience and superb quality.
Anja’s is a retailer, developer, manufacturer and distributor of food and related products which markets its wares to the health food service industry, retail customers and speciality outlets and stores.
Since the inception of Anja’s Pantry, it has grown to 23 successful stores and 14 outlets, which all operate under the Anja’s brand and style.
Darling Sweet - Darling
Hentie van der Merwe
Darling Sweet came into existence in September 2013 when Frits and Hentie decided to start a toffee factory in Darling.
From the start, their idea was to produce a range of high-quality toffees that are handcrafted using traditional methods and with no artificial colourants, flavourings or preservatives added, thus ‘clean label’ products.
In 2014, they started producing their first three toffee flavours: Tannie Evita’s Classic, Honey & Salt, and Sour Fig. Since then, Darling Sweet employs 15 full-time and 11 part-time members of staff, and produces toffee products in a 500-m2 production facility. They currently have two product lines, eight toffee flavours and three toffee spreads. They also market and sell locally sourced raw veld flower honey and fleur de sel under the Darling Sweet brand.
Darling Sweet supports the Darling Trust, a charitable trust that assists the Darling community by empowering individuals to help themselves.
Best emerging agri-processing business
Bassalicious - Rondebosch
Rizia Bassa
Bassalicious was brought about by the traditions inspired by authentic Indian cooking and although Rizia Bassa has made sauces since 1998, she decided in 2013 to turn a hobby into a business. She used recipes passed down to her by her late grandmother to create a range of vibrant and tasteful delicacies. And works with a team of ladies who recreate the blend her grandmother used to produce.
Bassalicious condiments and marinades are cooked at a low temperature to bring out the exceptional flavour of every ingredient. The condiments and marinades are organic and preservative free and only the freshest ingredients are used, which are sourced from local farmers. Bassalicious condiments and marinades are authentically Indian in flavour, but are proudly South African.
ButtaNutt Tree Nut Spreads - Stellenbosch
Antoine van Heerden
ButtaNutt is a proudly South African nut butter producer that handcrafts a series of authentic tree nut spreads using only local and natural ingredients. ButtaNutt was founded in 2013 at a farmer's market as a “better for you peanut butter”. ButtaNutt is made by grinding up South African grown almonds, macadamias and pecan nuts into a paste. It is free from added sugar, stabilizers or preservatives.
ButtaNutt has since grown to 8 permanent employees and supplying to over 350 independent retail stores nationwide, bringing home their philosophy that food that food matters.
ButtaNutt has 6 authentic and proven flavours with their newest addition being the rooibos, coconut and macadamia. The range is primarily macadamia nut focussed.
True Vine Grapeseed Products - Worcester
Howard Jacobs
True Vine Grapeseed Products is an agro-processing business that harvests grape seeds from wine cellars. The dried seeds are cold pressed to extract the grapeseed oil (GSO) and the leftover seed cake is used as a biomass pellet for renewable energy or sold as animal feed.
Five years ago, an agreement was reached with Merwida wine cellars in Worcester to harvest the seeds from their waste and the operations have been based there since. In 2013, True Vine Grapeseed Products Pty Ltd (TVGP) was formed to concentrate on the grapeseed products only.
Over the past years, the harvesting process has been customised and the perfect fit-for-purpose model has been organically developed to maximise job creation and sustainability. Each pod will employ 10 individuals and with 50 pods, the job creation potential is 500 employees.
The current buyers include both national and international customers, with potential grapeseed oil export buyers in Moldova, Turkey, Portugal and the USA, with information already sent to China to test this market for exports.
Best emerging tourism business
Once in Cape Town - Cape Town
Kim Whitaker
Once in Cape Town was founded by five entrepreneurs in 2013 and the business is run by Kim Whitaker. You can tailor make your own experience at this all-star hotel. There are plans to duplicate this concept in Johannesburg before the start of the season where it will be trading as Once in Johannesburg.
An all-star establishment dedicates one floor to classic budget hotel rooms with all the necessary amenities of a three-star hotel in Cape Town. The other floor comprises a typical hostel or backpackers’ lodge in Cape Town. Every shared room has a private bathroom, most of which have been newly renovated.
West Coast Way – Cape Town
Carmen Lerm
West Coast Way is a privately owned business which was founded by Carmen Lerm in October 2014 and is an initiative which actively markets and showcases the West Coast Biodiversity Corridor, thereby increasing visitor numbers and improving economic growth for locals.
More routes were launched during 2015 and 2016. West Coast Way has four active routes stimulating tourism activity and confidence in the Cape West Coast, with another route to be launched in 2016/17 upping the route collection to five: Culture Route, Foodie Route, Berg Route, Scenic Route and Wild Route.
Hot Oven Marketing - McGregor
Mira Weiner
Mira Weiner founded Hot Oven Marketing in October 2015. Hot Oven Marketing is a boutique public relations, destination marketing and media agency for the travel, tourism and wine industry in South Africa. They act as the matchmaker to connect, interact and network between clients, the media and ultimately the consumer.
They partner with clients to ‘bake’ ideas and build business and are constantly evolving and creating new ideas for the travel, tourism and wine industry.
The business believes that you must connect with the stories of the people to be able to discover, explore and experience a destination. Employment and skills development form an important framework for the business structure.
Best school business idea
Aurial College - Oudtshoorn
Carissa Harper
Carissa Harper is a Grade 10 learner at Aurial College in Oudtshoorn and her business idea is to supply catering to local communities for birthdays and events. She has been implementing the idea with the help of her family, and it saves the local community taxi fares and time to get from their homes to buy the confectionary and snacks in town.
She is continuously empowering herself by trying out new recipes from the internet and cooking and baking shows on TV. She is also becoming more versatile and has extended her product offering.
Usasazo High School - Khayelitsha
Future Entrepreneurs of Usasazo: Kadima Eddy Kayembe and learners
The Grade 11 learners of the Usasazo High School in Khayelitsha in Cape Town have formed a group called Future Entrepreneurs under the guidance of their teacher, Eddy Kadima Kayembe. While all grades are busy with different entrepreneurial projects, this group, represented by Chulumanco Qumba, Cikizwa Mdaka, Kraai Andani and Tomose Abenam, has identified an opportunity to make and then rent out graduation gowns to other schools and universities in the area.
The group has done their research and found that there is a shortage of gowns and that schools will be willing to rent the gowns from Usasazo for events such as their valedictory and prize-giving evenings. An initial 200 gowns with an eventual total of 400 gowns have been planned once they have secured funding for the material and labour.
The benefit of this idea is that it teaches learners entrepreneurial skills and provides the school with an additional source of income.
Al-Azhar High School - Athlone
Khadija Mohamed
Khadija Mohamed is a Grade 11 learner at Al Azhar High School in Athlone, and her business idea is named Shop-in-a-box. The concept is a foldable and mobile 125 litre box with a total display area of 12,5 m². It can be either transported as a cart or mounted on a trailer.
It is aimed at street vendors and market sellers across Cape Town at all the daily market and vendor areas, who need to store and transport their goods safely, and at the same time they can use the box for marketing purposes.
The boxes can be manufactured from lightweight steel or aluminium, industrial waterproof tarpaulins and plastic moulding to keep it as lightweight as possible. It can be purchased at selected stores and online. Khadija has already spoken to designers about the concept, as well as a business administration graduate/mentor to give her guidance on how to put the idea into action.
For media queries, kindly contact:
Bronwynne Jooste
Tel: 021 483 3550
Cell: 060 970 4301
E-mail: bronwynne.jooste@westerncape.gov.za
