Hardwork pays off for executives, companies

Business executives and companies say they are grateful for having received regcognition for their hardwork at the Namibia Premier Business Awards (NPBA) last week.

The Executive Magazine in collaboration with The Namibian and the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, hosted the awards in Windhoek last week.

Winner of the Executive of The Year award, Gondwana Collection’s managing director Gys Joubert, said the award is a reflection of the hard work of the entire Gondwana team.

“Even though we are deeply grateful, what drives us is something different. It is how we pitch up every day, day in and day out. It is who we are, a disposition. It is what we do and the impact that we have, whether the world is watching or not. It is the impact that we have. It is about Namibia,” said Joubert.

First National Bank (FNB) Namibia also scooped two awards at the event.

“FNB Namibia is proud to receive the Bank of the Year and Customer Excellence awards. This recognition is testament to FNB Namibia’s leading position and reputation for excellence, further solidifying us as the preferred financial partner,” said FNB Namibia spokesperson Hileni Amadhila.

Deputy minister of finance and public enterprises Maureen Hinda-Mbuende underscored the event’s importance in terms of fostering an environment for businesses to thrive.

“The NPBAs are not merely about acknowledging success; they also honour the hard work, dedication and resilience of Namibian businesses at all levels,” Hinda-Mbuende said.

Chairperson of the organising committee Penda Hashoongo said they anticipate a bigger and better ceremony next year.

“The diversity and ingenuity displayed by our entrepreneurs and corporations have contributed immensely to our nation’s growth and prosperity. Depending on the level of support we receive, we anticipate a bigger and better ceremony that will once again serve as a genuine coronation of business excellence in Namibia,” said Hashoongo.

He further highlighted the challenges they faced while organising the event.

“The main challenge was the limited nominations from the public. That is why we only had a few nominees in some categories and others who may have been better candidates in some categories were left out altogether.”

According to Hashoongo, the nomination process was held online between October and mid-November.

Among the additional victors were the Pupkewitz Foundation for Social Impact, MTC (Aweh) for Service of the Year, Kelp Blue for Sustainability Company of the Year, and Ohlthaver & List for Employer of the Year.

Daniel Hooft of Kelp Blue was honoured as Entrepreneur of the Year, while Sam Shivute of Namibia Revenue Authority received the Corporate Turnaround Champion award. Global Excellence for 2023 was awarded to Andre Messika of Andre Messika Ltd.