The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has extended the deadline for entries for its Awards for Excellence for 2017 to April 28, to afford more companies time to submit entries.
“After countless queries from interested companies in the metals and engineering sector and [with] the first week of April [seeing] operations affected by various nationwide protests, we found it only reasonable that the deadline for the entries be extended to allow companies to participate,” said Seifsa CEO Kaizer Nyatsumba.
The federation, which launched the awards in 2015, invited manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector within the Southern African region to submit their entries, which will be assessed between January and December 2016.
Nyatsumba said although the metals and engineering sector was facing many challenges and uncertainty, companies still managed to excel under difficult circumstances.
“It is during times of crisis 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.
Winners of the 2017 Seifsa Awards for Excellence will be announced at a ceremony at the Industrial Development Corporation’s conference centre on May 25.