SA Tech SMMEs Awarded at T.E.X 2022
Local tech SMMEs from the Innovator Trust’s Enterprise Development programme gathered from across the country to be awarded at the launch event of the Tech Entrepreneurship Xperience (T.E.X) 2022 which took place on 15th September in Cape Town, South Africa.
It was a celebratory occasion for beneficiaries of the Innovator Trust’s Enterprise Development (ED) programme who completed their incubation journey over the last two years. While the launch event of T.E.X 2022 set out to chart the path for the entrepreneur of the future, providing a platform for conversation through a lineup of keynote addresses and panel discussions between entrepreneurs, CEOs and captains of industry, the small business owners in attendance were elated and surprised when their names were called out on the T.E.X stage in honour of their exceptional performance while on the ED programme, particularly in light of the constraints of the learning and business environment under the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns.
Award Ceremony
The awards ceremony highlighted several categories in which the SMMEs were assessed for the 2021/2022 financial year while on the programme. These included Top 3 achievers for Highest Turnover, amounting to an impressive, combined turnover of over R39-million from these small businesses for the period. Top achieving SMMEs were also announced for the Highest Percentage Growth experienced while on the programme, recognition for the Top Business Presentations, as well as an award acknowledging the Top Employment Creator amongst the cohort of beneficiaries. Each of the award winners also walked away with cash prizes to be utilised towards their businesses. List of award recipients below:
Innovator Trust Pinnacle Award 2022: Washief Volkwyn – T.H.E Network Computer Services (NCS) (Western Cape)
Top 3: Highest Turnover FY 2021/2022
1st Place: Roscoe Adams – Headbyte (Western Cape)
2nd Place: Kim Palmer – On The Ball College (Western Cape)
3rd Place: Anthony Lai Lam – Complete IT (Western Cape)
Top 3: Highest Percentage Growth FY 2021/2022
1st Place: Loyiso Tyira – Future Business Consulting (Limpopo)
2nd Place: Tshepo Dlamini – Apex Mokopane Community Technology Centre (Limpopo)
3rd Place: Joel Baloyi – Highly Dedicated (Limpopo)
Top Business Presentations 2022
1st Place: Piwe Sweleni – Loomee Group (Eastern Cape)
2nd Place: Tantsi Khaya Mawabo – Khula Tech Solutions (Eastern Cape)
3rd Place: Khaya Budlelwana Nqelenga – Bona Phandle Media (Eastern Cape)
Top Young Start-Up Business Presentation: Senzeni Dladla – INFO Media (Mpumalanga)
Top Employment Creator 2022:
Mbavhalelo Mabogo – Quickloc8 (Western Cape)
As part of the inaugural awards ceremony, the Top Incubator Partners of the Innovator Trust were also awarded for their excellence in delivering above the call of duty as an incubator partner, identifying highly skilled small businesses as beneficiaries, and consistently providing quality, opportunities of value to the 2021/2022 cohort of SMMEs. The ceremony wrapped up with the coveted Pinnacle Award for 2022 being announced for the top performing SMME holistically, surpassing all expectations not only in turnover, job creation and engagement throughout the programme, but also in their B2B and B2C brand interactions. The following award recipients were recognised:
Top Incubator Partner: Best Overall Performance - Maven Solutions (Western Cape)
Best Performing Incubator Partner: Top Percentage Turnover Growth Q1 2022 – Softstart Business and Technology Incubator (Gauteng)
Aside from the awards ceremony, the T.E.X 2022 event also provided valuable insights from an impressive line-up of industry expert guest speakers including bestselling brand author and behavioural psychology researcher, Timothy Maurice-Webster, and futurist, Merle O’Brien delivering keynote addresses at the event, as well as the likes of Lynda Marthinus (Vodacom Group Head of BBBEE), Heather Sonn (Director: Gamiro Holdings), Darryl Dennis (Nelson Mandela Bay iHub CEO), Musa Kalenga (CEO: Brave Group), and award-winning African fashion designer, David Tlale, lending their voices as panellists on topics pertaining to the future of entrepreneurship on the African continent.
The T.E.X event will feature as an annual occasion on the Innovator Trust’s calendar and one that many African tech-entrepreneurs will surely join in on in its quest to craft a uniquely African narrative through homegrown innovation from tech-entrepreneurs, that solves Africa’s problems today while shaping the future of the Africa of tomorrow.
For photos of the event, please head over to ou Gallery.
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