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Kiyapili Sibanda, Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) on Friday presented awards to best performing businesses and individuals in Matabeleland region at a colourful event held at a hotel in Bulawayo.
The awards come shortly after the organisation unveiled its new regional executive led by Mr Golden Muoni as chairperson, taking over from Mr Chrispen Mugova of Udine Products.
Mr Muoni is the managing member of Star Distributors that supplies packaging solutions to butcheries, bakers, takeaway requisites and computer consumables.
The awards, which were held under the theme “Consolidating the New Normal Economy through Policy Reforms”, saw different businesses and individuals scooping honours in 22 categories for best performance in 2016.
Among the top winners were Mr Siqokoqela Mphoko of Choppies Zimbabwe who scooped the manager of the year award, Mr Worthwhile Mugabe of DSK Electricals who won the business person of the year and businessman of the year award. The Small to Medium Enterprises award went to Skyz Metro FM while the best bank supporting SMEs went to CBZ. Arenel walked away with the investor of the year award as TelOne snapped a double in the ICT category and public enterprise awards. The National University of Science and Technology (Nust) won the tertiary institute of the year award followed by Lupane State University and Trust Academy respectively.
Nemaks Construction won the contractor of the year award, Intercape won the transporter of the year while Thompson Zvenyika of Greens Supermarket won the entrepreneur of the year award. Untu Capital is the leader in enterprise development support while NSSA became the best corporate social responsibility player.
Coal miner Makomo Resources emerged top in the exporter category in the mining sector, while Zambezi Tunners Pvt Ltd ruled the roost in agriculture exports. Zimplow is the best manufacturing factory while Victoria Falls Hotel came first in the tourism category. Colbro took the best HIV and awareness programme at the workplace award while Mr Matthew Mutavayi of Half Way Hotel along Bulawayo-Victoria Falls Road won the rural business person of the year.
D G Patel, Mohammed Esat and T Hlabangana of Bafana Bus Service received lifetime achievement awards while Sharon Stead of Camp Amalinda won the business woman of the year award.
In an interview, Mr Muoni applauded businesses for remaining afloat despite economic challenges facing the country.
“The economic challenges being faced in the region and in the country and liquidity challenges are some of the factors that we encountered as the chamber,” he said.
Mr Muoni also noted that workers were spending most of their time in the queues and were no longer productive saying this was affecting the economy. He said the chamber was geared towards working with businesses and other stakeholders in facilitating improvement in the economy.
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