Local businesspeople honoured

The Free State provincial government on Wednesday honoured local businesspeople that have had an impact on the local economy.

The event which was held at the end of the three day Free State Global Investor Trade Bridge held in Bloemfontein from Monday honoured the businesspeople in a bid to encourage others to work towards uplifting the local economy.

Notable among them was the director of corporate affairs at Sparta, a local beef producer and well-known businessman Freddy Kenny who was hailed for being an outstanding black industrialist.

The awards were bestowed on the two, together with thirteen young and promising businesspeople in the province by the newly appointed MEC for economic development Benny Malakoane.
In his keynote address marking the closure of the three day trade bridge, Malakoane told the gathering that there are unique attributes that a business person cannot do without.

He said the trade bridge was a success in that 46 local businesses had a chance to engage with global players and exchange vital information that can lead to future deals being clinched.

Cautioning young businesspeople in the house, Malakoane, who was the health MEC until this week’s provincial cabinet reshuffle, said: “A businessman cannot afford to be indolent, meaning lazy or idle and neither can he afford to be afraid of taking risks, because after all every business is risk.”

Malakoane said most young people trying to get into business are not ready for this hence they end up closing shop and failing to live up to their dreams.

Quoting from Mirriam Williamson’s book, titled Back to Love, Malakoane said the deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, rather that we are powerful beyond measure .

“It is the light that we fear, not the darkness, Winston Churchill puts it better to say the meaning of success is to move from one failure to the next without losing hope,” said Malakoane.

Malakoane cautioned assembled businesspeople against negative competition among themselves and instead called on them to co-operate with each other than to attempt to subdue one another.

“Sometimes the law of the jungle takes place in business, its either you get to eat or be eaten, but it is also important to know who your friends are in times of need,” he said.

He said young people need not be apologetic about wanting to be millionaires and billionaires, telling them not to worship poverty.
The trade bridge saw the province receiving 1 400 visitors.

Agriculture MEC Oupa Khoabane also told the gathering that it was important for the continent to start exporting more and importing less.
He said this will lead to the creation of jobs and sustainable employment for locals.

“These minerals are beneath us here in Africa, but someone outside of here wants to run them, hence beneficiation of our raw materials becomes more important than ever,” he said.
Some of the local business honoured with recognition includes publishing houses run by Nthabiseng Joffe and Lindiwe Maleka.

Lentswe Tlhogo, a 25 year old former taxi driver who now owns a publication called Voice Express and runs a logistics business, was also recognised.

Also honoured was wine-maker Lerato Molwesi, who said her company was started from the need to have female wine-masters in an industry traditionally dominated by males.