EABC to award East African companies

The East Africa Business Council (EABC) is to award private companies that have demonstrated exceptional business performance in accelerating regional growth, creating wealth, employment and reducing poverty across the East African region.

The winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner scheduled for 23rd March, 2018 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre, in Nairobi.

In the Inaugural EABC Business Excellence Awards (BEA), EABC seeks to reinforce the critical role of the private sector in the economy of East Africa and to recognise and celebrate businesses from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

EABC executive director, Ms. Lilian Awinja said: "The Business sector is a driving force in East Africa’s economy through the creation of jobs and opportunities that enable citizens to earn a living and thrive as well as being a major player in the integration process. The idea to host these awards was thus born out of the need for a platform upon which the Council will honour businesses that have achieved success through their vision, operations and business ethics.”

The communications advocate at EABC, Patrick Moshi said that the Business Excellence Awards will provide a chance for businesses in East Africa to compete for ultimate accolade at a regional level which he says will include SMEs and other companies.

“As the only regional business awards, the EABC Business Excellence Awards provide businesses in East Africa an opportunity to compete for the ultimate business accolade at the EAC level. Applications are open for all SMEs and Companies in the EAC Region.” he said

Mosh added that to ensure objectivity, transparency and accuracy in the judging process, there will a panel of judges which will work with Price WaterHouse Coopers as Audit partners whose mandate will be to review the end to end process of the Business Excellence Awards.

“The EABC Business Excellence Awards has a six-member Panel of Judges to adjudicate entries. The Panel comprises individuals of the highest caliber, who command in-depth understanding of the EAC integration processes, the business dynamics of the EAC region as well as the role that the private sector can play in shaping the development of the region.”

The inaugural EABC Business Excellence Awards are organized across three categories comprising of 14 individual awards available for competition which includes: Overall Awards, Corporate awards-cross cutting, and corporate awards-Sector categories.

The full list of categories is as below:

OVERALL AWARD

EABC Chairman’s Award - Overall Best Regional Company

CORPORATE AWARDS – CROSS-CUTTING CATEGORY

1. Best East African Company – Manufacturing
2. Best East African Company - Services Sector

iii.    Best East African Company – SME

1. Best East African Company – Woman Owned Enterprise
2. Best East African Company- Green Economy
3. Best East African Company – Innovation

vii.  Best East African Company- Corporate Social Responsibility

CORPORATE AWARDS - SECTOR CATEGORIES

1. Best East African Company - Financial Services
2. Best East African Company - Transport and Logistics

iii.    Best East African Company – Media

1. Best East African Company - Tourism and Hospitality
2. Best East African Company - Building & Construction
3.  Best East African Company - Extractive and Mining

 

By Drake Nyamugabwa