Small businesses get big boost at 2018 Eskom Business Investment Competition

Giving recognition to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the 2018 Eskom Business Investment Competition saw some of the businesses awarded at Indaba Hotel on 4 September.

In its 10th year, the competition is an initiative of the Eskom Development Foundation which is aimed at recognising and rewarding small businesses that are contributing towards building the economy by creating jobs and fighting poverty.

The overall winner of the competition is the Prodeliver Group (Pty) Ltd, who took a prize of R300 000. The company, which is based in Rivonia, provides logistics and mining services including transportation of commodities and palletised materials. It was started in 2014 by Nyadzeni Makhado, who used to work in gold mines before going into business.

On his way to and from work, Makhado used to travel behind the trucks transporting materials from mines to gold plants. He had always wanted something that could make him passive income and he thought that was it.

He and his partners bought a truck as a start, but while running the business they soon discovered that doing it part-time was difficult as they would be underground most of the time and out of reach for their clients. They then decided to quit their jobs and focus on their business on a full-time basis.

Makhado said he was totally amazed when his company’s name was called. “The level of competition was tough and I thought maybe if I’m lucky I’d win my category or be a runner-up, I just didn’t expect to be the overall winner of such a big competition.”

He added that the prize money will be reinvested into the business. “We’ll use some of it for operational costs as we work on scaling and growing.”

The awards saw R1,3 million worth of prizes at stake, as the businesses slugged it out for top honours in three categories; Manufacturing, trade and services as well as engineering and construction. Eskom Development Foundation chairman Chose Choeu said that the competition is one of the foundation’s leading enterprise development initiatives.

“This year is particularly special as the Business Investment Competition celebrates its 10th anniversary. It has been 10 solid years of contributing to economic development by propelling small businesses to higher levels of operation. This is a huge milestone and a sign that we are doing something right,” Choeu said.

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