INLSA
Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World managing director Mike Dowsley proudly holds aloft his award. Celebrating the moment with him is Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Thato Tsautse
Suncoast Casino Entertainment World, Splendid Marketing and the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development and Tourism scooped top honours at the 5th Annual Alec Rogoff Broad-based Black Economic Empowerment Awards in Durban last week.
The awards took place at the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 156th annual dinner at Durban’s International Convention Centre.
An initiative of the Durban Chamber with BEE verification agency AQRate KZN and media partners The Mercury, the awards aim to recognise leading efforts towards empowerment and transformation in the KZN economy.
Linda Ngcobo, chief operations officer of AQRate KZN and host of the awards, said: “This year’s awards attracted more entries than ever before and competition was tough. The winners can be justifiably proud of their achievements,”
Splendid Marketing, which won the small business category award, is headed by Durban businesswoman Zama Phakathi.
Ngcobo said that despite its size, the firm, which is owned and managed by black women, was committed to the development of skills. It had invested a large amount of its profits in the sponsorship of bursaries for the youth and for community development.
Suncoast managing director Mike Dowsley said: “Suncoast Casino Entertainment World and parent company Tsogo Sun Group are very proud that Durban’s premier entertainment destination has won the prestigious 2012 Alec Rogoff Broad-Based BEE Award in the large business category. Personally, and on behalf of my team, we appreciate the due recognition received from the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, AQRate KZN and The Mercury.”
Ngcobo said Suncoast had won the award for its “inclusive approach to ownership”, which ensured that the ownership was spread among black people, black women, as well as broad-based ownership schemes.
“The organisation has also committed to the development of the economy by exceeding the target for enterprise development in terms of BEE spend by more than twice the required target,” she said.
“As a subsidiary of Tsogo Sun, Suncoast is obliged to ensure that broad-based BEE is not simply a business imperative, but is enshrined in our commitment to best practice in the national interest…
“As a ‘level two’ contributor towards the seven pillars of empowerment as per the broad-based BEE scorecard, with an overall score of 92.3 percent, we remain committed to maintaining a high focus on broad-based BEE,” said Dowsley.
The Alec Rogoff BEE project of the year award was won by the KZN Department of Economic Development and Tourism. The department received the award for its initiative in having all 24 KZN government departments and public entities verified and rated for BEE.
“KZN will go down in history as the first province to have begun the process of verification of provincial government entities. By taking this bold step, provincial government has begun to ensure that more SA organisations participate in transforming the economy,” Ngcobo said.
l Look out for a profile of Zama Phakathi in Network next week.
