The Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) has invited manufacturers operating in the metals and engineering sector to submit their entries for the 2017 Seifsa Awards for Excellence.
The awards are open to all companies in the sector, including Seifsa non-members.
Entrants will be assessed on their performance in the period January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2016 in seven different categories, with the Most Innovative Company of the Year being one of them.
Seifsa CEO Kaizer Nyatsumba said although the metals and engineering sector was faced with many challenges and uncertainty in 2016, there were companies that still managed to excel under these 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 and, in the process, not only saving jobs, but also ensuring that the industry still provides its valuable goods and services,” he added.
The Most Innovative Company of the Year trophy is awarded to a company that has shown the best level of innovation in research and development or production in 2016, in the process of either gaining market advantage or reducing production costs.
“Judges will consider if the company has created competitive advantage, contributed to significant growth, transformed the organisation or the wider industry, improved overall financial performance, achieved operational excellence, embedded ethical or sustainable practices, helped staff deliver better customer service, increased market share or customer loyalty or supported strong leadership and management,” Seifsa sales and acting marketing manager Nuraan Alli pointed out.
Last year, South Africa’s largest manufacturer of secondary aluminium products Zimco Aluminium Company, scooped the award.
Other categories include the Health and Safety Award; Customer Service of the Year Award; Most Transformed Company of the Year Award, a Decade of the Artisan Award and the Environment Stewardship Award.
Entries are also invited from companies whose corporate social investment programmes in 2016 had a major impact on the lives of beneficiaries.