Exporter of the Year Awards
Exporter of the Year 2024
It was a night of celebrations as exporting excellence in the region was celebrated at the Exporter of the Year Gala Banquet.
Exporters Eastern Cape’s 2024 Exporter of the Year Award winners were announced at the prestigious banquet, hosted at the Tramways Building on Friday, 11 October 2024.
“Tonight is a flagship event for Exporters Eastern Cape, one that we look forward to every year not only because it is a highlight on our social calendars, but also because it is a celebration of the culmination of another year of hard work and success by our members in the export industry in the Eastern Cape.”
“Recognising our members’ achievements is a privilege and testament to the partnerships we continue to forge locally and internationally. I have no doubt, after being chairman of Exporters Eastern Cape for 15 years, that we are a unique region with exceptional export businesses, and export support businesses, that are truly of the highest calibre,” said Exporters Eastern Cape Chairman Quintin Levey.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Overall Winner of the 2024 Exporter of the Year Awards, which went to the first-time overall winner, ISUZU Motors South Africa.
ISUZU Vice President for Planning, Marketing and Corporate Affairs, Celestin Ndhlovu, said winning the award was very encouraging, especially looking at how tough the year had been and the hard work the team had put in, into a very competitive market.
“Our strategy has always been to grow the business through exports, and getting this kind of recognition means you’re doing something right. So going back into the business, I think it’s something that encourages everyone, because, you know, when you get incentivized in such a manner, then it shows that the kind of effort you are putting in, is yielding positive results,” said Ndhlovu.
In the year under review, the company had massively grown exports from the Eastern Cape into the rest of the African market, to 26 countries across the continent. In terms of volumes, they were the second highest South African exporter of vehicles (SUV, LCV, CV) into Africa, and the top Eastern Cape-based exporter of vehicles (SUV, LCV, CV) into Africa.
“We have seen our exports grow into Africa. If we look at our production, about 25 to 30% of our volume is exported into Africa, and we continue taking part in some of the discussions with policymakers to make sure that we are creating an enabling environment. So, discussions are something that we also encourage, especially looking at other players, because at the end of the day, if we can improve the kind of trade that happens in Africa, it’s going to be a huge opportunity for all,” said Ndhlovu.
While ISUZU had been a category winner before, it is the first time since the company was established in 2018, that they walked away with the coveted title of Overall Winner of the Exporter of the Year.
In addition to being announced the overall winner, ISUZU also achieved the following Exporters Eastern Cape 2024 accolades: Best Exporter: OEM – Winner. SJM Flex Environmental Award – Merit Award and the IDC Job Creator Award – Merit Award.
Standard Bank was the Platinum Sponsor for the awards evening, along with Gold Sponsors Volkswagen Group Africa and OM & Barker; Silver Sponsor Kingfisher FM; Bronze Sponsors ISUZU, IDC and SJM Flex. The official Media partner of the event was The Herald.
The category and merit award winners of the 2024 Exporter of the Year Awards are:
- 2024 Exporter of the Year Overall Winner – ISUZU Motors South Africa
BEST EXPORTER: OEM
- Best Exporter OEM Winner – ISUZU Motors South Africa
- Best Exporter OEM Merit Award for Strategic Innovation (Growth into Africa) – Volkswagen Group Africa
BEST EXPORTER: CORPORATE
- Best Exporter Corporate Winner – Lumotech
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for increase in Profitability and Turnover – SJM Flex SA
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for Increase in Profitability – Shatterprufe
BEST EXPORTER: MEDIUM ENTERPRISE
- Best Exporter Medium Enterprise Winner – S4 Integration
- Best Exporter Medium Enterprise – Merit Award for Increase in Profitability and Turnover – Wirquin Manufacturing
BEST EXPORTER: SMALL BUSINESS
- No winners.
BEST PROVIDER OF SERVICE TO EXPORTERS
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Winner – C. Steinweg Logistics
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for New Contracts – Coega Development Corporation
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for Growth & Increase in Profitability – OM & Barker
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for Innovation – Thermascan 2020
IDC JOB CREATOR
- IDC Job Creator Award Winner – Lumotech
- IDC Job Creator Merit Award – ISUZU Motors South Africa
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL
- SJM Flex Environmental Award Winner – Volkswagen Group Africa
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award – ISUZU Motors South Africa
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award – Schaeffler South Africa
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICE
- SJM Flex Environmental Practice Award Winner – Tavcor Motor Group
- SJM Flex Environmental Practice Merit Award – S4 Integration
Exporter of the Year 2023
Exporters Eastern Cape’s 2023 Exporter of the Year winners were announced on Friday evening (20 October) at a spectacular gala event at the Boardwalk Hotel and Convention Centre in Gqeberha.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the prestigious Overall Exporter of the Year Winner, which this year went to S4, a Gqeberha-based turnkey automation and machine building solutions company.
S4 also achieved this prestigious title in 2018 and 2020.
Speaking on how S4 managed to increase their export turnover by 118% and their profitability by 125% over the period under review, S4 Marketing Manager Gideon Smith said the success was due to the automation division that had grown internationally.
“Previously we were mostly focussed on software exporting, but this year we have exported international automation as well. Those are larger valued projects and that is the main reason for the growth in profits,” said Smith.
S4 exports to Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, China, the United Kingdom, Mexico and the USA and started exporting in 2008. Their recently opened sales office in Germany also assisted in creating new opportunities in the European market for the proudly Eastern Cape company.
“We are humbled by the awards that we have won. We want to thank our team members back home for their hard work and dedication. Thank you to our partners from the European side and all our customers,” said Smith.
The theme for the event was “futuristic” which fitted perfectly with S4’s fully integrated 4IR focus on virtual reality, augmented reality, remote monitoring and diagnostics, as well as the company’s expansion into the Electric Vehicle (EV) and energy storage sectors.
Exporters Eastern Cape Chairman Quintin Levey congratulated all the winners who achieved incredible successes despite the tough economic conditions in the country and the world. He encouraged them to continue looking for new opportunities and growth in the different sectors and industries they represent.
He also thanked all the stakeholders who had supported Exporters Eastern Cape over the past year, including the sponsors of the Exporter of the Year Awards.
Standard Bank Head of Client Coverage and Business Clients in the Eastern Cape, Leigh-Anne de Witt, explained why Standard Bank was honoured to be the Platinum Sponsor for the awards this year. “We are proud to be associated with this event and the successes of the exporters who will be acknowledged here tonight,” said De Witt.
Other sponsors included Gold Sponsors Volkswagen Group SA and OM & Barker; Silver Sponsors Kingfisher FM and Isuzu Motors South Africa; Bronze Sponsor IDC; Blue Sponsor SJM Flex SA (Pty) Ltd; and Media Sponsor: The Herald.
The category and merit award winners of the 2023 Exporter of the Year Awards are:
- 2023 Exporter of the Year Overall Winner – S4 Integration
BEST EXPORTER: OEM
- Best Exporter OEM Winner – Isuzu Motors South Africa
- Best Exporter OEM Merit Award for Capital Investment – Volkswagen Group South Africa
BEST EXPORTER: CORPORATE
- Best Exporter Corporate Winner – Shatterprufe
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for New Contracts – Purem Port Elizabeth
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for New Contracts – Lumotech
BEST EXPORTER: MEDIUM ENTERPRISE
- Best Exporter Medium Enterprise Winner – S4 Integration
BEST EXPORTER: SMALL BUSINESS
- Best Exporter Small Business Winner – Marina Sea Salt
- Best Exporter Small Business – Merit Award for Innovation – Microcare Solar
BEST PROVIDER OF SERVICE TO EXPORTERS
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Winner – BLG Logistics South Africa
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for Innovation – Toyota Material Handling
IDC JOB CREATOR
- IDC Job Creator Award Winner – Lumotech
- IDC Job Creator Merit Award – S4 Integration
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL
- SJM Flex Environmental Award Winner – Volkswagen Group South Africa
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award – Isuzu Motors South Africa
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award – Lumotech
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICE
- No winner
Listen to the Kingfisher FM interviews with Quintin Levey, Chairman of Exporters Eastern Cape and Nyameko Lusu from Standard Bank, the main Platinum Sponsor of the 2023 Exporter of the Year Banquet:
Quintin Levey, Exporters Eastern Cape
Nyameko Lusu, Standard Bank
Exporter of the Year 2022
In its 27th year, the Exporter of the Year Awards is hosted annually to acknowledge the achievements of Eastern Cape exporters and service providers in the province. It was the first time in three years that the event was again hosted in person.
It was indeed a night of celebrations as Exporters Eastern Cape announced their Exporter of the Year 2022 winners on Friday, 21 October 2022.
The Overall Winner of the Exporter of the Year 2022 was announced as Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa, who also walked away with the category title win for Best OEM and merit award for the IDC Job Creator Award – for increasing their staff compliment by 39 people in the period under review.
Ford has a long history in South Africa and started exporting in 1964. They export directly to several European and Eastern countries, as well as indirectly to over 100 global markets. Ford recently completed a R600-million investment expanding their local facility to support the introduction of a new production line and provide upgrades to the current line. In addition, the vehicle manufacturer also significantly increased their turnover for direct and indirect exports.
“It is an honour and privilege to win the prestigious 2022 Exporter of the Year Award, as well as the Best Exporter OEM Award and an IDC Job Creator Merit Award from Exporters Eastern Cape. This is a testament and credit to the hard work and dedication of the entire Ford team to ensure the sustainability and relevance of our business, both here in Nelson Mandela Bay, and internationally as part of Ford’s global manufacturing network,” said Ford Struandale Engine Plant Assistant Plant Manager Oscar Sundu.
Exporters EC Chairman Quintin Levey congratulated the winners in a video message. “On a night of celebration, it was a privilege to once again, host the top businesspeople in the export industry at one of the premier events of the year. A huge congratulations to all the winners. The resilience and collaboration within the export industry bared the fruit of much success, despite trying economic conditions. Exporters Eastern Cape is proud to facilitate conversations on export related matters, and encourage collaboration in the industry,” said Levey.
The Awards ceremony was hosted in person at the Sun Boardwalk International Conference Centre, and the master of ceremonies for the event was Gareth Burley. Service providers included LX Events, OM & Barker, Michael Sheehan Photography and Magnetic Storm.
Sponsors of the 2022 Exporter of the Year Awards Gala evening include Transnet National Ports Authority (Platinum); Volkswagen Group South Africa (Gold Sponsor); Oracle Media (Gold Sponsor); Isuzu Motors South Africa (Silver Sponsor); Kingfisher FM (Silver Sponsor); SJM Flex SA (Blue Sponsor); Industrial Development Corporation (Blue Sponsor); DG Incentives (Blue Sponsor); Chumile Holdings (Blue Sponsor); The Herald (Media Sponsor) and Bay FM (Media Sponsor).
The category and merit award winners of the 2022 Exporter of the Year Awards are:
- 2022 Exporter of the Year Overall Winner – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
BEST EXPORTER: OEM
- Best Exporter OEM Winner – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
- Best Exporter OEM Merit Award for Innovation, Transformation and Increased Volumes – Isuzu Motors South Africa
- Best Exporter OEM Merit Award for Increased Volumes – Volkswagen Group South Africa
BEST EXPORTER: CORPORATE
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for Overcoming Obstacles and New Contracts – SMA Engineering
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for New Contracts – Lumotech
BEST EXPORTER: MEDIUM ENTERPRISE
- Best Exporter Medium Enterprise Winner – Acoustex Group
- Best Exporter Medium Enterprise Merit Award for Improvement in Profitability and New Business – S4 Development Services
BEST EXPORTER: SMALL BUSINESS
- Best Exporter Small Business Winner – Microcare Solar
- Best Exporter Small Business – Merit Award for New Contracts – OPM Tooling Import & Export CC
BEST PROVIDER OF SERVICE TO EXPORTERS
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Winner – DG Incentives
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for Awards won and Achievements – Toyota Industrial Equipment
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for Growth – OM & Barker
IDC JOB CREATOR
- IDC Job Creator Award Winner – SMA Engineering
- IDC Job Creator Merit Award – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
- IDC Job Creator Merit Award – Microcare Solar
- IDC Job Creator Merit Award – Isuzu Motors South Africa
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL
- SJM Flex Environmental Award Winner – Volkswagen Group South Africa
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award – Isuzu Motors South Africa
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICE
- SJM Flex Environmental Practice Award Winner – S4 Development Services
Visit the Exporters Eastern Cape Facebook Page for all the event photos!
Exporter of the Year 2021
In its 26th year, the Exporter of the Year Awards is hosted annually to acknowledge the achievements of Eastern Cape exporters and service providers in the province. The Awards ceremony was hosted online on Friday, 20 August 2021 with an interactive live event, which was presented by MC Gareth Burley.
Creating hundreds of new jobs, increasing market share, profits and growing export turnover. These are just some of the successes Exporters Eastern Cape’s Exporter of the Year 2021 winners achieved over the past year.
Entertainment for the evening included Franky and the Misfits, Letters from Jane and Roland Gaspar. LX Events assisted with organising the online event and Oracle Media provided all the artwork designs and organised the online event platform. Michael Sheehan is the photographer for this year’s Exporter of the Year.
A highlight of the evening was the announcement of the prestigious Overall Winner of the Exporter of the Year 2021, Acoustex Group, a Gqeberha-based manufacturer of automotive components exported to 12 countries around the world.
The category and merit award winners of the 2021 Exporter of the Year Awards are:
- Exporter of the Year Overall Winner: Acoustex Group
BEST EXPORTER: OEM
- Best Exporter OEM Winner: Volkswagen Group South Africa
- Best Exporter OEM Merit Award for Skills Development and Transformation Initiatives: Isuzu Motors South Africa
BEST EXPORTER: CORPORATE
- Best Exporter Corporate Winner: SMA Engineering South Africa
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for Improvement in Profitability: Purem Port Elizabeth (Eberspächer SA)
- Best Exporter Corporate Merit Award for Increase in Export Turnover and Profitability: San Miguel Fruits South Africa
BEST EXPORTER: MEDIUM ENTERPRISE
- Best Exporter Medium Enterprise Winner: Acoustex Group
BEST EXPORTER: SMALL BUSINESS
- Best Exporter Small Business Winner: OPM Tooling Import & Export CC
BEST PROVIDER OF SERVICE TO EXPORTERS
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Winner: Toyota Industrial Equipment
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for Awards Won and Achievements: Oracle Media
- Best Provider of Service to Exporters Merit Award for New Contracts: Coega Development Corporation
IDC JOB CREATION
- IDC Job Creation Award Winner: SMA Engineering South Africa
- IDC Job Creation Merit Award: Lumotech
- IDC Job Creation Merit Award: Sovereign Foods
- IDC Job Creation Merit Award: Isuzu Motors South Africa
- IDC Job Creation Merit Award: S4 Development Services
SJM FLEX ENVIRONMENTAL
- SJM Flex Environmental Award Winner: Volkswagen Group South Africa
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award: Coega Development Corporation
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award: Purem Port Elizabeth (Eberspächer SA)
- SJM Flex Environmental Merit Award: Isuzu Motors South Africa
Thank you to all our sponsors for making this event possible!
Gareth Burley, MC for the Awards Event
Frankie and The Misfits
Letters from Jane
Roland Gaspar
Trophies and certificates will be handed over to all the winners at their premises
Behind the scenes
Behind the Scenes
Exporter of the Year 2020
In its 25th year, the Exporter of the Year Awards is hosted annually to acknowledge the achievements of Eastern Cape exporters and service providers in the province. The 2020 awards event was a special milestone for the organisation, who is celebrating 40 years of existence in Port Elizabeth.
It was also the first year that the Exporter of the Year Awards was hosted online with an interactive live event, which was presented by MC Gareth Burley. Entertainment for the evening included the Nelson Mandela Bay Musicians Collaboration, magician Brendon Peel and comedian Marc Lottering.
Congratulations to S4 Development Services that was named Exporter of the Year – Overall Winner as well as the following Category and Merit Award winners:
SJM Flex Environmental Practice Award
2020 Exporter of the Year – Overall Winner: S4 Development Services
Listen to the Algoa FM interview with the 2020 Exporter of the Year Winner – S4 Development Services
Listen to the Kingfisher FM interviews with the 2020 Category Winners
S4 Development Services
Tavcor Motor Group
VWSA
Ford Motor Company
Oracle Media
Eberspächer South Africa
Exporter of the Year 2019
Congratulations to Volkswagen Group South Africa (VWSA) as the Overall Winner of the 24th annual Exporter of the Year Awards as well as all the merit award and category winners.
The 2019 merit and category winners are:
SJM Flex Environmental Practice Award
- Winner: La Mohair
SJM Flex Environmental Award
- First Merit Award: SMA Engineering
- Second Merit Award: Eberspächer South Africa
- Third Merit Award: Volkswagen Group South Africa
- Winner: Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
IDC Job Creation Award
- First Merit Award: Sovereign Foods
- Second Merit Award: Shatterprufe
- Third Merit Award: Volkswagen Group South Africa
- Winner: Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
Best provider of services to exporters
- First Merit Award for Major Accomplishments: Coega Development Corporation
- Second Merit Award for Major Accomplishments and Improvement of Profitability: BLG Logistics of South-Africa
- Winner: Sasfin Commercial Solutions (Global Trade)
Best exporter: Small business
- Merit Award for Improvement in Export Profitability: La Mohair
- Winner: S4 Integration
Best exporter: Medium enterprise
- Winner: Sovereign Foods
Best exporter: Corporate
- First Merit Award for Increase in Export Turnover: Talhado Fishing Enterprises
- Second Merit Award for Entrepreneurial Export Flair: Eberspächer South Africa
- Third Merit Award for Entrepreneurial Export Flair: G Modiano Ltd.
- Winner: Shatterprufe
Best exporter: OEM
- Merit Award for Major Accomplishments: Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
- Winner: Volkswagen Group South Africa
2019 Overall Exporter of the Year: Volkswagen Group South Africa
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Media Sponsor
Listen to the Kingfisher FM interviews with the 2019 Category Winners
VWSA
Ford Motor Company
Sasfin Commercial Solutions (Global Trade)
Sovereign Foods
La Mohair
S4 Integration
Transnet National Ports Authority
Shatterprufe
Exporters Eastern Cape
Diamond Members
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