Gauteng IWISA No 1 Community Champion Competition finalists announced
Photo Caption: The top 3 winners from last year’s competition. Left to right: Thozama Sikiti, 3rd place winner; Sizwe Nzima, 1st place winner; Colin Mkosi with his co-worker, 2nd place winners.
Premier, the company behind South Africa’s Iwisa No. 1 brand, is thrilled to announce Gauteng’s top 10 finalists for the Iwisa No. 1 Community Champions competition. With all applications now reviewed and evaluated, this year’s call for entries has been a resounding success, showcasing the incredible spirit, dedication and resilience of social enterprises across the country.
Designed to identify and celebrate social entrepreneurs making significant contribution and impact in their communities, the Iwisa No. 1 Community Champions competition was launched at the start of 2024. The competition was open to all South Africans over 18 years old with social enterprises operating in the Free State, Gauteng, Eastern and Western Cape – with a view to finding community champions who demonstrate exceptional commitment to improving the lives of those around them.
“This year’s response was overwhelming and truly humbling,” says Sibongile Mooko, Premier Executive: Marketing Milling. “Over 600 entries were received in total across all of the participating regions.
Competition was tight this year – with many SMMEs going all out in their videos to support their applications and document their work on the ground. “We’ve not only seen the quantity of applications increase, but also the quality of applications improve year-on-year. This is testament not only to the incredible work people are doing on the ground, but also to the value the competition and the finalist preparation process adds to their businesses,” says Mooko.
Entries were shortlisted based on several criteria including impact, sustainability, innovation, and community involvement to identify the top 10 finalists per region. “Our shortlisting and selection team was especially stretched this year, reviewing applications from innovative educational initiatives to sustainable community farming and even cooking oil recycling projects, the submissions showcased a wide range of enterprises aimed at addressing various community challenges. We were particularly impressed with the creativity and dedication displayed by the entrepreneurs, making the selection process both challenging and inspiring.”
The shortlisted entrepreneurs will now be guided through the process of refining their “pitches” before competing for the grand prize of R30 000 on 26 July 2024 in Johannesburg.
The finalists from Gauteng are as follows:
- Agrigreat Soiltech Envirocare – Kempton Park
- ChemKhowa (Pty) Ltd – Protea South, Soweto
- YO BABA, Thembisa
- INO-Biodiesel, Benoni
- The Light Candles, Pimville Soweto
- Atlegang Growth SA (Pty) Ltd, Sandown
- Mpumi’s Tasty Treats, Thembisa
- Quick in Car Wash, Lorentzville
- Bajha Etsoseng Agricultural Farming and Projects
- Eully’s Cakery, Germiston
With just over a week to go before the final, Mooko notes that the top 10 have a lot to look forward to: “Each will now be guided through training to refine and perfect their pitch – giving them the best possible opportunity to present themselves and their SMMEs at the finals.
“The Iwisa No. 1 Community Champions competition continues to highlight the passion and resilience of South Africans, and this year’s finalists truly embody the spirit of Ubuntu,” says Mooko. “We wish each of our finalists every success and are confident they will represent their communities with pride,” she concludes.
