Tag: past winners

Finalists announced for premier entrepreneurial competition’s 30th edition

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Celebrating three full decades of discovering and cultivating the best entrepreneurial talent that South Africa has to offer, we have announced the shortlist of 15 standout entrants who have made it through to the final round of this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS.

The 189 entries that were received this year really upped the game in terms of the entrants’ entrepreneurial talent and achievements. Every year, we think that we’ve seen it all, but each year we find ourselves being further blown away by the level of talent being exhibited by the South African entrepreneurs who enter the competition.

In alphabetical order, the finalists for the 2018 competition are:

Andrew and Glenn Eriksen – Cango Wildlife Ranch; Beverley Gumbi – Isivuno Containers Business; Chike and Damaris  Igwegbe – Green City Solutions, t/a Mustbuy; Christina Ester Geldart – Marven Studios; Esi-Gifty Agbohla – Eli-Bionatural International; James Barrington-Bronwn – NewSpace Systems; Kerry and Craig Motherwell – Foxolution SE CC; Leboneng Mathebula – Gridbow Engineers; Louw Barnardt and Dana Pretorius – Outsourced CFO; Muhammed Simjee and Sofiah Docrat – A2D24 Dot Com; Pepe Marais and Gareth Leck – Joe Public; Phillipa Geard – Recruit My Mom; Praveshen Naidoo – e-Waste Africa; Terence Naidu – EnvisionIt Stock and Tshegofatso Samuel and Motlapele Molefi – Modi Mining.

These 15 finalists operate in various sectors of the economy and are based across the country. While the majority of these finalists originate from Gauteng (47%) and the Western Cape (33%), we received entries from all provinces and KwaZulu-Natal (13%) and the North West (7%) are both also represented in the finalist list this year.

With a wide variety of industries being represented, from mining and engineering to recycling and advertising, there is one thing that all 15 finalists share in common – their invaluable contribution to the South African economy. The SME sector continues to play a vital role in the South African economy, so these trail-blazing self-starters need to be celebrated for what they are – job creators and economic change-makers.

The next step in the independent judging process is the selection of the overall 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® winner, as well as winners for each of the five categories, namely emerging, small business, medium business, job creator and innovator. By running the evaluation process through three different filtering stages, we are able to ensure that every finalist is put under the microscope to avoid any human error or bias from tainting the results.

The 2018 finalists stand the chance to win prizes worth R2 million, which include cash prizes of R70 000 per category and R200 000 for the overall winner. Beyond monetary prices, previous finalists have benefitted greatly from the various networking opportunities and associated media exposure that the competition offers. Past winners have also gone on to win international awards and form valuable partnerships as a result of their success in the competition.

With competition winners being announced on 5 September 2018 at the official awards ceremony in Johannesburg, the judges have got their work cut out for them this year. The calibre of entrants this year looks to be extremely high so deciding on winners will be no easy feat. We wish all finalists the best of luck – you’re all already winners in our eyes.

Finalists announced for premier entrepreneurial competition’s 30th edition

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Celebrating three full decades of discovering and cultivating the best entrepreneurial talent that South Africa has to offer, the highly esteemed Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS has announced the shortlist of 15 standout entrants who have made it through to the final round of this year’s competition.

According to Gugu Mjadu, spokesperson for the 2018 edition of the competition, the 189 entries that were received this year really upped the game in terms of entrepreneurial talent. “Every year, we think that we’ve seen it all, but each year we find ourselves being further blown away by the level of talent being exhibited by the South African entrepreneurs who enter the competition.”

In alphabetical order, the finalists for the 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS are:

Andrew and Glenn Eriksen – Cango Wildlife Ranch; Beverley Gumbi – Isivuno Containers Business; Chike and Damaris  Igwegbe – Green City Solutions, t/a Mustbuy; Christina Ester Geldart – Marven Studios; Esi-Gifty Agbohla – Eli-Bionatural International;  James Barrington-Bronwn – NewSpace Systems; Kerry and Craig Motherwell – Foxolution SE CC; Leboneng Mathebula – Gridbow Engineers; Louw Barnardt and Dana Pretorius – Outsourced CFO; Muhammed Simjee and Sofiah Docrat – A2D24 Dot Com; Pepe Marais and Gareth Leck – Joe Public; Phillipa Geard – Recruit My Mom; Praveshen Naidoo – e-Waste Africa; Terence Naidu – EnvisionIt Stock and Tshegofatso Samuel and Motlapele Molefi – Modi Mining.

These 15 finalists operate in various sectors of the economy and are based across the country, says Mjadu. “While the majority of these finalists originate from Gauteng (47%) and the Western Cape (33%), we received entries from all provinces and KwaZulu-Natal (13%) and the North West (7%) are both also represented in the finalist list this year.”

With a wide variety of industries being represented, from mining and engineering to recycling and advertising, there is one thing that Mjadu says all 15 finalists share in common – their invaluable contribution to the South African economy. “The SME sector continues to play a vital role in the South African economy, so these trail-blazing self-starters need to be celebrated for what they are – job creators and economic change-makers,” Mjadu adds.

She explains that the next step in the independent judging process is the selection of the overall 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® winner, as well as winners for each of the five categories, namely emerging, small business, medium business, job creator and innovator. “By running the evaluation process through three different filtering stages, we are able to ensure that every finalist is put under the microscope to avoid any human error or bias from tainting the results.”

The 2018 finalists stand the chance to win prizes worth R2 million, which include cash prizes of R70 000 per category and R200 000 for the overall winner. “Beyond monetary prices, previous finalists have benefitted greatly from the various networking opportunities and associated media exposure that the competition offers. Past winners have also gone on to win international awards and form valuable partnerships as a result of their success in the competition.”

With competition winners being announced on 5 September 2018 at the official awards breakfast in Johannesburg, Mjadu says that the judges have got their work cut out for them this year. “The calibre of entrants this year looks to be extremely high so deciding on winners will be no easy feat. We wish all finalists the best of luck – you’re all already winners in our eyes,” concludes Mjadu.

Past winner catch-up – where are they now?

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2018 marks our 30th year in honouring entrepreneurs and the contributions they make toward growing the South African economy. We’re celebrating by catching up with some of the past winners of the competition.

Catching up with: Mpodumo Doubada
Winning year: Innovator of the Year® – 2017

Winning business: Pimp my Book is a successful chain of campus stores across the country, founded on the simple premise of buying and selling used textbooks. After earning his first 10% commission on the sale of his friends’ textbooks, founder, Mpodumo Doubada, quickly saw the opportunity to create a one-stop platform where students could sell their used textbooks for cash, as well as purchase the books they need.

It’s been almost a year since you won the Innovator of the Year title in 2017, how has business been since then?

Over the last few months, business has been very good. We do operate a seasonal business, but even taking this into account, we experienced a bumper season. We have since signed two big clients – bringing in an additional 800 students to our direct market.

The direct spin-off from the EOY competition has also been amazing to watch.  We’ve seen a far more positive reception from various universities and corporates – who have now heard about us through the media and are a little more open to trying our innovative approach.

Have you made any new developments in your business since winning?

At the time of our win, our tech division was relatively new. It has now been rolled out across all our stores and is bringing in more and more business. We have seen a significant increase in laptop sales in the Cape Town area alone. 

Also new, is our new Hatfield store in Pretoria – targeting students of the University of Pretoria and UNISA.

We are also working on an exciting new project for an international market – and we will share more details about this in due course.

On a personal note, I was very fortunate to be selected as a finalist in the 2018 Mandela Washington Fellowship as part of the Young African Leaders Initiative. In June, I will join the other candidates from Sub Saharan Africa as we travel to the United States to learn from our American peers – with the aim to bring leadership skills back to Africa. 

What was the biggest lesson you learned from your stint in the EOY competition?

I’d never seen myself as an “innovator”. Whenever I think of the term, I always think of high tech or new inventions. The competition showed me that in fact, innovation is just about doing things differently. If you change the way something has traditionally been done to solve a problem – then you are an innovator. This was a big eye-opener for me.

One of the toughest things to face during the competition, was the questions posed by the judges. Their questions required a fair amount of self-evaluation. Up until this point, I didn’t recognise the full impact of what we do – until others told me what a great job we were doing. The process really opened my mind to see the changes we make to the communities we serve.

What would your top piece of advice be for anyone looking to enter this year’s competition?

Be authentic about yourself and your business. You need to you know your business and industry inside and out as the judges will interrogate this at a deeper level than you ever have – so you need to be prepared to do the same in preparation.

Above all – let your passion shine through anything you prepare.

Past winner catch-up: where are they now?

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2018 marks our 30th year in honouring entrepreneurs and the contributions they make toward growing the South African economy. We’re celebrating by catching up with some of the past winners of the competition.

Catching up with: Gil Oved

Winning year: co-winner Entrepreneur of the Year® – 2015 with Ran Neu-Ner
Winning business: In 2015, The Creative Counsel – TCC was the largest advertising group in South Africa by staff and turnover, employing more than 1000 permanent employees and thousands of temporary, trained and upskilled staff. TCC is the joint effort of Gil Oved and Ran Neu-Ner.

It’s been almost 3 years since you won the Entrepreneur of the Year® title in 2015, how has business been since then?

It has been an incredibly interesting time to be in business. It was an amazing coincidence that the Entrepreneur of the Year® awards were announced on the morning of 2 September 2015, and it so happened that later that day, we finalised the sale of our business to the Publicis Groupe – the 3rd largest communications group globally.

We have, however, remained in the business since the sale and we now consult to the business as a whole.

We have also each started different initiatives since then. I am currently working on my 4th start-up – a private equity company called LLH Capital, investing in businesses that are transforming and digitising the African continent.

Have you made any new developments within your business since winning?

The communications industry as a whole has experienced a lot of changes. There have been market entries of new services and technology. To keep up and ensure that we were always able to meet our clients’ needs, we developed OBI – a software programme and system for managing people on the ground. OBI helps businesses to gamify what they do and helps staff track their own performance against that of their peers. We are very proud of OBI, what it does for our staff and in turn, what it can do for our clients.

What was the biggest lesson you learnt from your time in the EOY competition?

Before EOY, we didn’t focus too much on our own brand building or competitions. We thought that people would find out about us if they needed to.  When we entered the competition, we quickly discovered that there was a whole new world waiting for us. Winning was a game-changer and completely shifted our perceptions.

After winning, we received so much recognition and respect from clients, suppliers, and staff. We realised we were actually a force to be reckoned with, not just a small company – something which is very important, but equally something we, as entrepreneurs, tend to struggle with.

The biggest lesson for us was that you need to get your name out there and seek some recognition.

What would your top piece of advice be for anyone looking to enter this year’s competition?

It is important to understand why you deserve the award. Perhaps some advice to this year’s entrants would be to look inwardly and 1) how you contribute to the economy? 2) what you stand for? 3) how have you improved unemployment rate in your community and have you changed people’s lives? 4) how have you contributed to the social fabric of society? What are you proud of?

If you can answer these questions with integrity, then you have a good chance in the competition.

Any last thoughts?

Winning the Entrepreneur of the Year® competition has improved my personal journey as an entrepreneur and definitely our business trajectory. I am still so inspired to do more.

SA’s premier entrepreneurial competition marks 30 years of celebrating entrepreneurial excellence in Cape Town

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Amid the current political optimism, entrepreneurs should be especially inspired by the continued commitment to SME support which emerged as a consistent theme in both the 2018 State of the Nation Address and the National Budget Speech. This is according to Kobus Engelbrecht, spokesperson for the 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS, who believes that this continued focus evidences Government’s recognition of the vital role played by entrepreneurs in enabling economic growth.

Speaking in light of the launch of the 2018 competition in Cape Town today, Engelbrecht says that this long-deserved recognition of the SME sector only further validates the competition’s unwavering commitment to celebrating excellence in entrepreneurship and fostering future economic growth.

“Now in our 30th year, this renowned competition continues to pay homage to the fearless South African entrepreneurs who dedicate themselves to their enterprises and businesses: driving growth, combatting unemployment and contributing towards the country’s economic development. It is therefore wonderful to see the public sector taking the required steps to improving the environment in which these entrepreneurs operate in order to promote further growth in the sector.”

Christo Botes, executive director at Business Partners Limited (BUSINESS/PARTNERS) has been involved in the competition since its inception in 1988, “Looking back over the last 30 years, this competition has evolved from an internal competition that recognized BUSINESS/PARTNERS’ clients only, to a nation-wide search for outstanding South African-based entrepreneurs, with Sanlam as our valued partner.”

He says that the competition continues to reward successful local business owners for the valuable contributions they make to grow their local communities and economies, and aims to inspire others to do the same. “As our 30th- anniversary year, we’re hoping to see even more entrepreneurs enter. The competition is open to all South African-based businesses and prizes are awarded for the following categories: Overall Entrepreneur of the Year®, Emerging Business Entrepreneur of the Year®, Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year®, Medium Business Entrepreneur of the Year®, Job Creator of the Year and Innovator of the Year,” says Botes.

Engelbrecht adds that this year, the 2018 competition will also recognize a South African entrepreneur for a Lifetime Achievement award. “The purpose of this specially nominated award is to recognize an entrepreneur who has made a significant contribution to the South Africa economy and has grown their business from start-up to large-scale, perhaps even multi-national corporation. We want to reward the individuals who have dedicated their lives to building our economy and inspiring others to do the same.”

The 2018 Entrepreneur of the Year® competition, sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS, offers prizes valued at over R 2 million, which includes cash prizes of R 70 000 for each main category winner, and R200 000 for the overall winner. Competition winners will also receive valuable mentorship support, networking opportunities and national media exposure.

Engelbrecht says that in celebrating 30 years of searching for entrepreneurial talent in all sectors of the economy, the competition remains fiercely committed to its cause in 2018. “The judges are looking for entrepreneurs that have succeeded against the odds, either by carving out a niche market for their product or service offering, or by succeeding in a very competitive environment. Perseverance and endurance, innovation and agility are some of the qualities we look for in the entrepreneur.”

Engelbrecht adds that there are also a number of quantitative competition measures, such as turnover growth, profitability, owners’ equity growth, positive cash flows and job creation that play a part in the competition’s judging process.

Entrepreneurs are encouraged to enter the competition and can do so by downloading the entry form online at www.eoy.co.za. They can also interact with fellow entrepreneurs, past winners and entrants on the competition’s social media platforms www.twitter.com/@EOY_SA and www.facebook.com/EOY.SA. The closing date for the competition is 31 May 2018. 

Family ties that bind businesses

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Tamsyn Ferreira, 2015 Sanlam/Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® entrant and owner of Alifurn Outdoor Living – a family owned and run outdoor furniture business – started her business five years ago from humble beginnings in a garage. Since then Alifurn Outdoor Living has grown leaps and bounds, and has firmly established itself as an innovative and reliable partner in the leisure furniture sector.

Tamsyn qualified as a Financial Manager in 2004, and followed the trend of the time by travelling to the UK with her then boyfriend (now husband), Wayne, after successfully applying for a two year work/travel visa. “After a six month contract at Shell Oil’s Treasury Centre, I was offered a permanent position, which extended our stay in the UK for four years. Despite the amazing experience that the position offered, I knew that South Africa was where our hearts were, and having both grown up in Ballito, we wanted our children to have similar happy childhoods that we were afforded,” says Tamsyn.

Three years later Tamsyn was married, working at a large corporate in South Africa and starting her own family. It was during this time that she realised that she craved independence and the freedom to raise her children on her own terms whilst still forging a career for herself. Her father, Gary, then offered her the ‘terrifying’ opportunity of being her own boss after spotting an opportunity in the form of a struggling furniture manufacturing business that was being operated from a garage.

“I had no manufacturing, nor furniture-making experience, but with my business background, and my father’s vast clothing manufacturing knowledge, we decided to purchase the business. I wanted to support my family, but also wanted to create opportunities for those in our community who had no access to training and give them the same opportunity I was looking for – the opportunity to give their children a brighter future,” says Tamsyn.

Since 2011 Tamsyn has poured her heart, mind and soul into building Alifurn, with the continued support and input from her father. “We have grown from five employees in a tiny garage to a large factory run business which employs 20 people.”

Tamsyn says that she wears many hats in the business as she juggles the sales, human resources, marketing, accounting, as well as the administrative functions. She is quick to add that whilst this has been a huge undertaking, she has enjoyed putting into practice what she learnt from her B.Com (Financial Management) degree, as well as learning about manufacturing and running a business.

Alifurn is committed to being proudly South African and therefore only makes use of locally produced materials to create quality products. “My aim is to meet the needs of my customers in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally viable. Job-creation and community development are also top of our priority list, and we strive to develop employee skills through training programmes so that they are equipped for other opportunities that arise.”

When asked how she succeeded in growing the business, Tamsyn says that the task wasn’t easy, as the business hasn’t always had the positive reputation it has now, and therefore relied heavily on word of mouth marketing tactics and client referrals. “Excellent customer service and astounding quality will result in a favourable reputation with your clients. The time, effort and pride that each employee puts into every aspect of Alifurn shines through to the customer with every interaction.”

Tamsyn explains that the greatest challenge the business faces is seasonality, due to the nature of the products at Alifurn. “Such products are subject to inconsistent trade during the winter months, forcing us to re-strategise and look to other markets where seasonality isn’t such an impact, such as interior decorators the hospitality sector.

“Growing a business in a global recession, amongst industrial strikes and national electricity shortages has also forced us to be strategic. Although the recession meant tighter budgets for everyone, homeowners and the hospitality industry alike, I refused to compromise on quality or my core values in a bid to cut prices.”

Tamsyn advises that business owners should seek advice from a mentor at the beginning of any venture as the journey can be a rollercoaster of emotions. “Networking with like-minded people and taking advantage of the wealth of knowledge that people around you possess will ultimately lead to success.”

Looking to the future, Tamsyn hopes to grow her business’ knowledge by being exposed to like-minded entrepreneurs, such as past winners of the Sanlam/Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition. She also wishes to use the competition as a platform in which to grow Alifurn further, which will enable her to employ more staff.

Competition catapults 2011 winner to further business success

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2011 winner Marc Sternberg

The 2012 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year® competition acts as a catapult, driving growth, boosting self-confidence and improving internal efficiency for participating entrepreneurs and their businesses. However, the competition also aims to play a larger role in elevating the standard of entrepreneurial activity in South Africa, as well as fostering a national entrepreneurial spirit that directly translates into job creation.

The winner of the 2011 Overall Entrepreneur of the Year® award, Marc Sternberg, is the Managing Director of Spark ATM Systems, the leading independent Automated Teller Machine (ATM) deployer in South Africa. He says participating in the competition last year had myriad benefits for him personally, as well as for his company.

“To be recognised as a young and successful company has boosted the confidence of the staff tremendously and has also filtered into direct positive business results,” says Sternberg.

“Winning the competition has not only provided our company with a massive boost in confidence, but it has also greatly improved our brand’s credibility among existing and potential clients.” Sternberg also views the competition as an important networking opportunity to engage with like-minded entrepreneurs. “As a result of the award I was also able to network with other entrepreneurs and business innovators, sharing ideas and experiences that have allowed me to form new business and personal relationships”.

He highly recommends fellow entrepreneurs to enter the 2012 competition. “The process provides your company and its executive team an opportunity to use the competition as a benchmark to measure your business’s progress. It actually allowed us to conduct an internal audit of our business operations and sparked necessary improvements in our business processes”.

The competition also struck a personal chord with Sternberg. “Being a recipient of the 2011 award has ignited a personal interest in mentoring new and upcoming entrepreneurs. I’ve also learnt of the invaluable worth that entrepreneurship adds to the economy and of the huge dent it potentially can make in South Africa’s dire unemployment problem. Initiatives such as the 2012 Sanlam / Business Partners Entrepreneur of the Year ® competition are absolutely imperative to nurturing the social and economic well-being of South Africa.”

How a bright idea sparked success

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Winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year® award 2011

From being dubbed ‘Marc the Spark’ as a child to naming his multi-million rand business Spark ATM Systems, founder and managing director Marc Sternberg walked away with the overall coveted title of 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year® – which not only earned him the R100 000 grand prize but also the recognition he deserved.

Marc SternbergLike every good story, it has to begin somewhere and for Marc Sternberg, it all began in the land down under – Sydney, Australia, where Marc lived with his wife Tanya. “We were on a visit to Cape Town in 2005, when I was at a restaurant with my family and could not find an ATM nearby to draw cash,” says Marc. “At the time, I was employed as general manager for Vodafone Retail and my wife Tanya and I decided to return to South Africa, but were contemplating what to do business-wise when we returned.”

Marc, who was keen on starting his own business, was aware how sparse access to cash and banking services were in South Africa, and how big convenience ATMs are in developed countries such as Australia and the USA. “I set about researching the convenience ATM market and then proceeded to travel the world; speaking to ATM deployers, researching hardware suppliers, systems, switches, banks, and all aspects related to setting up a convenience ATM network in South Africa,” he explains.

The two most important business partners that Marc secured for the company were Chungho Comnet Co Ltd in Korea as the hardware supplier, and Capitec Bank as the banking partner. Back then, it was still early days for Capitec who have only just grown to be a force to be reckoned with in the South African banking world – just as Spark has grown in the merchant-filled ATM market.

“I persuaded investment banker Russel Berman to come on board as sales director, and we started trading. Spark grew fast as customers and potential customers soon realised what an important gap in the market our ATMs were filling, and the benefits the product and concept offered merchants,” Marc shares. “Soon after Spark’s inception, we employed technical manager, Dalton Jacobs, and systems manager, Buks Hanekom; both of whom are still with the company today. Technical, financial, sales and support staff followed and Spark grew very quickly over the last five years into the company it is today – employing around 80 staff across South Africa, and with a footprint of 1 500 merchant-filled ATMs countrywide.”

Local industry

According to Marc, passion, integrity and excellence are company values that drive the business. The product, service and solution offering available from Spark is certainly unique and fills a gap in the local ATM market. “Giving access to cash and banking services to South Africans, often where banks do not, while at the same time benefiting the merchants who host the ATMs, makes all of us at Spark feel great about what we do,” Marc comments. “Another big factor for us is the exceptional customer service we offer. It has become something we are renowned for.”

Spark is the premier independent ATM deployer in South Africa – selling, installing and maintaining world-leading ATMs into the local market. Convenience ATMs have taken the world by storm and today are found just about anywhere; and Spark is proud to be at the forefront of revolutionising the South African ATM industry. “Make sure you start or run a business based on something you are passionate about. And never forget to put your customers first,” Marc offers.

On a personal note

“I am blessed to have Tanya who has been a big part of my journey, and has helped me grow the business to the great company it is today,” says Marc, who holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Accounting and the SAICA Audit Qualifying Examinations. “Without my wife’s support, I would not be where I am today.” Marc’s family is also blessed with two children, Zoe, who is two-and-a-half, and Aaron, who is just over a year old.

His family and home life are exceptionally important to him, and Marc believes in the importance of having the correct work/home life balance. “Spending quality time with the family and watching my children grow up is a big part of my life, and setting aside that time is vitally important. It can be tricky to find the balance when one is running a thriving company but I have worked hard to maintain the balance that has been part of my success.”

Marc also cites his parents, Michael and Leora, as being very important people in his life, and for offering incredible support and inspiration. He is also very close to his sister, Lauren, and her family as well as Tanya’s family.

Marc is deeply honoured to have won the overall Entrepreneur of the Year® Award and believes that entrepreneurs should be celebrated, and entrepreneurship developed and nurtured in South Africa. “I am passionate about the work entrepreneurs are doing to further the economic and social goals of South Africa. The Entrepreneur of the Year® Award does not only belong to me. It also belongs to my partner and good friend, Russel, and to our wonderful staff who make up the Spark family, as well as our customers, business partners and suppliers. You all make Spark ATM Systems the incredible company it is today,” he concludes.

Creating opportunities in the face of adversity

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Winner of the Job Creator of the Year award 2011

Pierre Conradie

Pierre Conradie, founder and director of the Alpha Group, was the recipient of the prestigious 2011 Job Creator of the Year Award at the annual Entrepreneur of the Year® awards ceremony. Creating employment for 1 200 people in the rural area of Hluhluwe, KwaZulu-Natal, no one was more deserving of the title.

Pierre Conradie had a dream – he envisioned a multi-faceted company 25 years ago, the Alpha Group, which encompasses Alpha Security and Patrols as the group’s core, since this was his longest-standing business having been operational for more than 11 years. Alpha is the first letter of the alphabet and, according to Pierre, no other name signified a better beginning for the group.

But the Alpha Group is not where Pierre’s entrepreneurial skills set in. He was always business-minded with his first experience in entrepreneurship starting when he was just 8-years-old selling fruit at school. “Never give up!” Pierre emphasises. “Never lose sight of the fact that you are as good as the people that work for you, therefore surround yourself with people that are willing to go beyond the call.

“I have a diploma in Agriculture, completely unrelated to the security industry, but I will quote Sun Szu author of The Art of War when I say – leadership is a matter of intelligence.”

Servicing all clients

Many companies claim to be a one-stop shop but none rings more true than with Alpha Group. The company is a one-stop shop in its own right, servicing everyone in the security arena ranging from household security to business security concepts, security solutions, monitoring, response and installations, and nationwide offsite video monitoring tracking services. The organisation prides itself on also being an intelligence collection company that provides Intel to various stakeholders. And if that isn’t enough, the group has the following on offer under its umbrella:

  • Hluhluwe Arms & Ammo: a retail business
  • Wetlands Engineering: a vibrant business that provides various engineering solutions, mainly specialising in the sale of fleet and other vehicles
  • CIS Investigation and Security Services: providing security solutions and services including cash-in-transit Intrax Investments: property development in and around the Hluhluwe area
  • Hluhluwe Properties: deals solely with the sale and rental of properties in and around the Hluhluwe area

“Over and above everything, what makes us unique is that we source the right personnel, and we offer tailor-made solutions,” Pierre explains. “And we are able to do this because everything our clients’ need is housed under one group.”

Apart from been a successful businessman, Pierre is also successful in his personal life, especially to have his wife, Sanet, support him in his entrepreneurial venture from the get-go. “I sold my wife’s car and used the proceeds to start my first business,” he recalls. “What other wife would be that understanding?

“I try to spend as much time as possible with my wife and kids, Pierre Junior and Dawie. We support the kids in all aspects they undertake and always ensure that both of us or either one of us is present when they participate in any event.” Dad is also happy to mention that Pierre Junior made the family proud when he won the 2009 SA National Off-Road Motorcycle Senior 85cc Championship.

When asked how it felt to win the first-time ever Job Creator of Year Award, Pierre modestly replied: “It is humbling to see how many people’s lives are impacted by this group of companies. I think that is what entrepreneurship is all about – not just helping yourself but also helping other people.”

An epic success

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Winner of the 2011 Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year® and the Innovation Award

Founded in 2009 and already ranked the 7th largest public relations and communications company in South Africa, it’s comes as no surprise that founder and managing director of Epic Communications, Elian Wiener, walked off with two coveted titles at the 2011 Entrepreneur of the Year Awards: Emerging Emerging of the Year® and The Innovation Award. Here’s how it all began…

Elian WienarIn less than three years, Epic Communications went from a zero client base to currently more than 25 retainer clients – the vast majority of which are blue chip companies such as Old Mutual, Aon, DuPont, Nedgroup Investments, and WesBank. “When I started Epic Communications, I knew it was crucial to attract high quality staff if I was going to have any chance of securing any major clients; all of whom are traditionally reluctant to outsource to a one man show,” says Elian, who managed to grow the business to one that now employs more than 20 staff in both Johannesburg and Cape Town. “The vast majority of public relations agencies in South Africa focus on the consumer sector i.e. restaurants, celebrities, FMCG, etc, while very few have the technical ability to be able to provide communications services to companies looking to showcase their intellectual capital and position themselves as thought leaders to their respective target audiences.”

But Elian, who had all the skills and experience necessary to fill this gap – thanks to his position as head of external communications at Old Mutual – approached the market with a well-constructed business case and plenty of belief. A man on a mission, he then went on to seek out a few key personnel – all of whom are still with the company and have benefited in many ways, including financially.

The difference?

Apart from offering its clients strategic communications and public relations services, Epic Communications is also involved in a number of other initiatives, including a joint venture to produce INVESTA, one of South Africa’s leading publications for the investment industry, as well as the launch of its investment seminars – attracting over 150 investment professionals and featuring some of the leading figures in the industry. And if that’s not impressive enough, the company also runs Epic Journalism Training Seminars that are aimed at improving the technical skills of local business journalists.

“From a public relations perspective, our key advantage is that we ensure we have an in-depth understanding of our clients businesses and the industries in which they operate,” explains Elian. This, he reiterates, is crucial to being able to identify opportunities to communicate their key messages and engage with their target audiences. “In most cases, we are generating virtually all the content on behalf of our clients, from press releases to newsletters to social media posts and responses. We are also extremely focused on delivering communications that are geared towards assisting our clients achieve their business objectives and put measurables in place to gauge our performance on these criteria.” And, of course, the company’s strong media relationships and journalists also play in its favour.

But Epic Communications is unlike the average company that operates on a specific set of guidelines and rules. It is constantly evolving to adapt to the ever-changing times, and one of these changes includes the addition of the Epic Social Media Division in late 2010, which currently runs a number of social media and online reputation management campaigns for clients. “I set myself a target of consistently generating four to five new innovations and ideas per month. Of these, I target 75% to be implemented successfully within a three month time period. Some may be small operational ideas, such as better ways of reporting to clients, while others may be extremely big picture ideas such as new business units,” Elian explains. It is clear why the EOY judges saw him deserving of the Innovation Award.

Being married to an entrepreneur

“Owning your own business requires a huge amount of focus and commitment, so my wife (who recently launched her own business) and I, accept that there is not a lot of room for socialising or partying, although we do try to get out from time to time.” Elian, who has a degree in marketing and finance as well as an Honours degree in Corporate Finance and Investments from WITS University, is married to – as he describes her – “a very energetic wife” and they share an equally energetic two-year-old daughter. Despite the sacrifices that the couple has to make for their respective businesses, they also realise the importance of taking regular breaks. “We try to go on holiday at least twice a year. This year we spent a week in northern Italy in June, which was really fantastic,” he adds.

Before taking the leap toward entrepreneurship, Elian believes that it’s important to ask oneself three very important questions:

  • Is there a gap in the market for the product or service I want to provide?
  • Do I have the necessary skills or ability to build or attract the skills that are required to deliver my service or product?
  • Am I passionate about the industry I want to operate in.

If you can answer yes to all these questions, he concludes, then the rest of the challenges can be overcome.