Johannesburg, 24 May 2018 – The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (SEIFSA) has announced the winners of its 4th Annual SEIFSA Awards for Excellence in a ceremony held at the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) Conference Centre in Sandton this evening.

Weir Minerals took top honours, walking away not only with the 2018 Most Transformed Company of the Year Award, but also with the Environment Stewardship Award. The impressed judges in the most transformed category found that Weir Minerals embraced the challenges of the new, amended Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Codes with a firm commitment, using its skills development initiatives as a cornerstone of its transformation agenda.

The company also scooped the Environment Stewardship Award for going out of its way to invest in the environment and successfully implementing greening initiatives in its day-to-day business operations.

The Health and Safety Award Category sought to reward an organisation with the lowest Lost-Time Injury Frequency Rate and an effective system in place for managing risks. Babcock, which was named the winner in this category, not only completed a 1.5 million manhour project without any serious injuries, but it also displayed astounding support for both employees and management through comprehensive training and meticulous risk management.

Judges in the Most Innovative Award category say the quality of entries was extremely high, vindicating SEIFSA’s belief that, even during difficult economic times, some companies in the metals and engineering sector have continued to embrace and leverage innovation in order to remain domestically and internationally competitive.

The judges were impressed by the work done by the winning company, Denwa Engineering, which used its invention in the form of MaMoo Trailer to design and manufacture a product with local material and labour, instead of importing from an overseas-based company at an exorbitant cost and with very little value-add from South Africa.

The Best Corporate Social Responsibility Programme of the Year Award is another category which received a high number of high-quality entries. Commenting on this category, the judges said: “In an environment where the struggle to survive and prosper is challenging on its own, giving back to society becomes even more important. There are many companies in the country that have embraced these challenges and go the extra mile year after year to give back to society and make an impact on the communities in which they operate”.

Not only does the winner in this category, Schneider Electric, comply with legislative and any other requirements, but it genuinely gives back to society in a manner that creates a lasting impact.

There were no entries this year for the Customer Service Award and the Decade of the Artisan Award.

SEIFSA CEO Kaizer Nyatsumba presented the coveted CEO’s Awards. Former Constructional Engineering Association of South Africa Executive Director Louis Breckenridge was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to the industry over a 60-year period in various capacities: as an employer, a business owner, CEA Executive Committee member, CEA Chairman, CEA Executive Director, SEIFSA Council Member and resident expert on a host of industry forums and committees.

The Association of the Year Award went to the Light Engineering Industries Association of South Africa for its continued active participation in the various structures within SEIFSA, the Metal Engineering Industries Bargaining Council and the Metal Industries Benefit Funds, as well as other related Trustee Committees. Gibela Rail Transport Consortium was declared winner of the Company of the Year Award for having the highest spend on services provided by SEIFSA throughout its Divisions.

This year the Student of the Year Award was scooped by Moses Negoma, who is currently employed as a Fitter and Turner at Rand Water, for having been a top student at the SEIFSA Training Centre.

Presenting the Award, Mr Nyatsumba said: “Moses was selected from high-achieving trainee artisans in all 10 trades offered at the SEIFSA Training Centre, making him the best among more than 300 students at the training centre”.

Mr Nyatsumba commended all the companies that had entered the awards and congratulated the winners in the respective categories.

“SEIFSA maintains that it is critically important for those companies which excel at what they do to get the acknowledgement and recognition they deserve from industry peers,” he said.

Mr Nyatsumba also encouraged all companies operating in the metals and engineering sector to continue to work hard towards excelling and providing the sector with examples of excellence.

 

Issued by:

 

Ollie Madlala

Communications Consultant

Tel: (011) 298 9411 / 082 602 1725

Email: ollie@seifsa.co.za

Web: www.seifsa.co.za

SEIFSA is a National Federation representing 23 independent employers. Associations in the metals and engineering industries, with a combined membership of 1600 companies employing around 200 000 employees. The Federation was formed in 1943 and its member companies range from giant steel-making corporations to formed in 1943 and its member companies range from giant steel-making corporations to micro-enterprises employing few than 50 people.