Small business minister asks for concerted efforts to achieve sustainable development goals
SAB celebrates African organisations and individuals who have made outstanding achievements in sustainability at the inaugural SAB Beyond Awards.
Small Business Development Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams has called on entrepreneurs playing in the small business space to take advantage of the digital world and the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) to start businesses that will solve the many problems that bedevil people’s lives.
She was speaking at the inaugural SAB Beyond Awards of the South African Breweries (SAB) hosted at its headquarters in Bryanston in partnership with ESG [Environmental, Social and Governance] Africa Events which seeks to recognise African organisations and individuals who have made a noteworthy impact on climate change through their sustainability initiatives.
The awards recognised organisations and individuals across four categories including Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Champion, Sustainability Report of the Year, Sustainability Project of the Year and the African Trailblazer Award.
“South Africa is often lauded on international forums for its unique ability to work closely in the public-private sectors of the economy and I would urge for the continuation of this arrangement as we endeavour to improve the lives of our people.
“In other countries, it’s either the private sector calls the shots and everybody else confirms or vice-versa but I am delighted that in this country we found this unique partnership and way of working together,” Ndabeni-Abrahams said.
She said most of the projects initiated after Covid-19 to stimulate the economy are still trying to find their feet and this spells the need for an even closer and tighter working relationship between the public and private sectors of the economy or else the dreams of returning to the pre-Covid-19 levels would be diminished.
“Our responsibility as a government is to create a conducive environment that allows for the entrepreneurs and the private sector to thrive. If we find there is too much bureaucracy in the system, we need to sit down as the public and private sectors to iron out those snags and ensure the environment is made conducive.
“We all need to grapple with this bull by the horns and ensure our economy is sustainable and confines to the demands of the SDG [Sustainable Development Goals] and is climate friendly. We need to quicken our efforts to build a more dynamic and socially relevant private sector,” she said.
SAB director of ESG Barbara Copelovici said, “We should all strive to make a positive and lasting impact in our communities, advancing initiatives in sustainability, safety, responsibility, recycling, and more. We can always go beyond, and that’s what we’re here to celebrate.”
Winners and finalists for each category were as follows:
Sustainable Development Goals Champion Award: This prestigious award recognises the organization with the most comprehensive and impactful overall contribution towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Winner: Woolworths Holdings Limited.
- Finalists: Shoprite Checkers, Re-Purpose, Woolworths (Pty) Limited, Impact Catalyst, and AECI.
Sustainability Report of the Year Award: This award celebrates the most comprehensive, relevant, and engaging sustainability report.
- Winner: Sun International.
- Finalists: Woolworths (Pty) Limited, Sun International, AECI, Sanlam Life Limited, and Oceana Group.
Sustainability Project of the Year Award: This award recognises an initiative in the sustainability area which has had an outstanding impact on the African continent and is scalable and sustainable.
- Winner: Tweak Carbon.
- Finalists: eThekwini Municipality, WaterCAN, Tweak Carbon, Woolworths (Pty) Limited, and AECI.
African Trailblazer Award: This special recognition goes to remarkable individuals who have significantly contributed to advancing sustainability in Africa. These individuals may come from various fields, including business leaders, media personalities, civil society activists, or government officials, and they have all left a lasting footprint in the realm of sustainability.
- Winner: Dr. Jaisheila Rajput.
- Finalists: Murendeni Mafumo, Willem Wegelin, Dr. Jaisheila Rajput, Thapelo Phiri, and Kavita Pema.
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