FS entrepreneur crowned businessman of the year

A passionate retail businessman from QwaQwa has trounced 13 other competitors to scoop the 2013 Sanlam / Business Partners entrepreneur of the year award at an award ceremony held in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

The entrepreneur from the rural parts of the Free State, Tommy Makhatho who owns BiBi Cash & Carry retail group on QwaQwa was born and bred in Soweto. Makhatho’s store has employed 680 local residents.

In addition to creating employment for local people, Makhatho assists fellow entrepreneurs by allowing smaller retailers to make use of the BiBi Cash & Carry brand name in exchange for support and access to company information. He also offers an in-house learnership training programme to staff members.

Makhatho presently owns seven BiBi Cash & Carry stores. The retail chain store is currently South Africa’s largest entirely black owned retail operation and has 32 express stores. Since the first store was launched in 1984, the retail group has significantly grown in profit and size.

According to the competition’s project manager, Nimo Naidoo, Makhatho was awarded the overall title because of his ability to build and grow a sustainable business despite facing strong competition from established supermarket chains in the area as well his determination to continuously seek ways to increase his bottom line.

The competition widely considered to be the pre-eminent of its kind in South Africa and now in its 25th year, celebrates excellence in entrepreneurships and aims to honour, benefit and uplift small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Naidoo said the competition was committed to playing a crucial role in elevating the standard of entrepreneurial activity in the country, as well as fostering a national entrepreneurial spirit and promote entrepreneurship as a viable and exciting career path.

“Other 2013 category winners include Jonathan Pepler of Silverline Group, who was awarded the Emerging Entrepreneur award winner, Andrew and Chris Brown, co-founders of The Daily Buzz, took home the Small Business Entrepreneur award and the founder and owner of Life Path Health, Anton Rossouw won the Medium Business Entrepreneur award.

“The Innovator of the year title was awarded to Dr. Conrad Smith and pharmacist, Mariaan du Plessis, founders and owners of Medical Nutritional Institute (Pty) Ltd because of their innovative product range for a South African company, and the fact that they are able to compete internationally among other successful products,” added Naidoo.

Naidoo said the competition has awarded prizes worth R 1 340 000, which included cash prizes to the value of R300 000. She added that the winners’ businesses will also benefit significantly from the competitions various networking opportunities and associated marketing and national media exposure beyond the monetary prizes.

An additional award that was handed out this year was the Lifetime Achiever Award which was awarded to Margaret Hirsch, Chief Operations Officer of national appliance store, Hirsch’s.

According to Naidoo, the award served as recognition for entrepreneurs who have continually contributed towards the development and growth of South African entrepreneurship.

She said not only do entrepreneurs generate much needed wealth for the country; they also provide a substantial number of jobs for the citizens of South Africa. “Entrepreneurial excellence should be promoted as the norm and not the exception.

By promoting and supporting these entrepreneurs as role models we hope it will serve as an inspiration to others to succeed in the world of business,” ended Naidoo.

Makhatho said love, hard-work and most importantly passion are crucial characteristic an entrepreneur needs to succeed in business. He said he worked as a waiter for two years in Johannesburg before he took a bold decision to become an entrepreneur.

He opened a hair salon in 1984 and he has never looked back since. He said his retail stores have a competitive advantage over the bigger retail chains in the area due to its superior local knowledge, flexibility and the determination to operate close to the townships and communities where most of its consumers reside.

“Being recognised, especially in a sector as competitive and fast as ours, which happens to be dominated by giants such as Shoprite and Spar, brings us great joy and inspiration. Winning the award gives will give us an opportunity to display how an organisation can grow from nothing into a flourishing business.