ENTRIES FOR PRESTIGIOUS SEIFSA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE CLOSE

JOHANNESBURG, 12 MARCH 2017 – The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa’s (SEIFSA’s) search for top-performing companies in the Southern African metals and engineering sector in 2016 is fast drawing to an end. 

Entries close at mid-night tomorrow, after having opened late last year.

“We encourage all companies in the metals and engineering industries that have not yet entered their company for one or more of these awards to do so before midnight on 13 April 2017,” said Kaizer Nyatsumba, SEIFSA CEO.

The Federation, which launched the SEIFSA Awards for Excellence in 2015, has persistently invited manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector within the Southern African region to submit their entries for the 2017 Awards. The entries are for companies that will be assessed on their performance in the period 1 January 2016 to 31 December 2016.

Winners of the 2017 SEIFSA Awards for Excellence will be honoured at a prestigious ceremony that will take place at the IDC Conference Centre in Sandton on 25 May 2017.

Born out of the need to encourage growth and celebrate excellence in the metals and engineering sector, the SEIFSA Awards for Excellence offer a great opportunity for companies operating in this vital sector to receive well-deserved recognition by industry peers for their capabilities, expertise and innovation.

Mr Nyatsumba said although the metals and engineering sector was facing many challenges and uncertainty, there were companies that still managed to excel under these difficult circumstances.

“It is during crisis times that innovation and sustainability become paramount. We have seen companies that have managed to excel and retain operations in the sector, in the process not only saving jobs, but also ensuring that the industry still provides its goods and services,” he said.

Mr Nyatsumba said these companies need to be highlighted and celebrated so that it is demonstrated that there are other ways to keep the sector going until the crisis period lapses.

The SEIFSA Awards for Excellence have seven different categories:

  • The Most Innovative Company of the Year, which will be awarded to a company which showed the highest level of innovation in research and development or production in 2016;
  • The Health and Safety Award of the Year will be offered to a company with the best legal compliance record in Health and Safety or the lowest Lost-Time Injury Frequency Rate in 2016;
  • Entries are also invited from companies whose Corporate Social Investment (CSI) programme/s in 2016 had a major impact on the lives of their beneficiaries;
  • Companies rated the highest in customer service performance in 2016 will receive the Customer Service Award of the Year;
  • The Most Transformed Company of the Year Award will go to a company that showed the highest transformation level in the composition of its Board of Directors, Executive Management and Managerial Team in 2016 (this award category pits companies employing fewer than 100 people against those of similar size, and companies employing more than 100 companies against others of similar size);

    This is the Decade of the Artisan, and an award will be made to the company that trained the highest number of artisans in 2016; and

  • The Environment Stewardship Award will go to a company that has made the biggest or best strides towards conserving the environment or mitigating the impact of its operations on the environment in 2016.

Mr Nyatsumba has encouraged companies in the sector to submit their entries for the seven categories before midnight on 13 April. The Awards are open to both SEIFSA members and non-members.

Scaw Metals, ABB Group, Hazelton Pumps International and Voith Turbo were among the winners last year.

For more information or to enter for any of these categories for the awards, please contact our Sales and Communications Manager Ms Nuraan Alli on
011 298 9400 or 083 415 2780 or can email her on nuraan@seifsa.co.za. You may also visit our awards website at www.seifsaawards.co.za