Entries have now opened for the fifth annual Business Day Supplier Development Awards that recognise and celebrate supplier development best practice and encourage cross-sector collaboration to positively impact the local economy

The inaugural awards, founded by Fetola and Arena Holdings in 2018, attract entries across diverse industries and have grown in scope and scale to become the premier, supplier development awards in South Africa. These annual awards were established to celebrate those going beyond expectation and showcasing best practice; foster cross-sector collaboration and encourage knowledge-sharing and community. These objectives are still as relevant today as in 2018.

The awards program encourages and rewards excellence in supplier development; recognises the strategic imperative of supplier development; measures and shares the annual benchmark report of best practice; promotes supplier sustainability; enables skills-transfer and sector-wide advancement and encourages industry collaboration.

The annual awards target unemployment, inequality and poverty, by creating access to markets to grow businesses and generate jobs.

Catherine Wijnberg, CEO of Fetola, head judge and technical lead of the annual awards explains, “The Business Day Supplier Development Awards are about more than recognition. The awards inspire and showcase best practice and motivate corporates in South Africa to collectively advance their supplier development initiatives through shared learning and collaboration.”

She further notes that past awards winners highlight how supplier development that is deployed as a strategic business imperative, helps strengthen competitive advantage and ensures business sustainability. This leads to healthier supply chains that can grow employment during the challenging post pandemic economic times.

“We are delighted with the growing strength of the Awards and very pleased that they bring such recognition and prestige to finalists and winners alike. This year’s awards programme continues to be interactive and engaging, with opportunities for collaboration and learning between leading corporates and the suppliers they support”, says Wijnberg.

Previous award winners include some of South Africa’s most prominent corporate brands: Massmart, SAPPI South Africa, Distell, Hatch, Exxaro, Empact Group, SAB, Macsteel, Spar, Unilever and Tiger Brands.

If you’re using supplier development to build transformative supply chains and want to improve your impact and benchmark your progress, these awards are for you. Join this inclusive ecosystem of executive leaders of corporates that strategise to optimise impact through supplier development best practice, pursue collaborative partnerships and seek professional peer learning.

To play the game or nominate a corporate, complete your Expression of Interest to start your journey to the 2022 Awards.

The winners of this year’s Business Day Supplier Development Awards will be announced on 15 November 2022.

Entries for the 2022 Business Day Supplier Development Awards are now open and can be made online at www.sdawards.co.za. If you would like more information or to become a sponsor of the Supplier Development Awards, contact us at mnicol@fetola.co.za

Follow on LinkedIn: Business Day Supplier Development Awards | Twitter: @BDSupplierDev | Facebook: @BDSupplierDev

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About Fetola
Fetola is a leading provider of scalable, world-class entrepreneurial support programmes that deliver lasting social, environmental and economic impact. Their goal is to grow the economy, create inclusive wealth and generate jobs by helping people build businesses that last. This is achieved by providing proven business strategy, systems and support, while unlocking the personal leadership power of entrepreneurs who are inspired to leave a lasting legacy. Fetola means “change” in Sesotho – and the Fetola team are inspired by UN Global goal 17 to generate change at a global scale and foster partnerships that are force for good. For more information, visit www.fetola.co.za
About Arena Events
Arena Events draws on the editorial expertise and media-powerhouse advantage of Arena Holdings to deliver stimulating and engaging encounters that encourage excellence across South Africa’s various industries. Aligned to the thought-leadership of Arena’s prominent platforms like the Sunday Times, Financial Mail, Business Day, Sowetan, Business Day TV, The Home Channel and Ignition TV, we are committed to facilitating events that nurture the socio-economic success of our country. Our leading industry events include the Sunday Times Top 100 Companies, Sunday Times The Directors Event, SME Summit in association with Business Day TV, Business Day Supplier Development Awards, Business Day Focus 4.0, The Radio Awards, Sunday Times Gen Next, Sunday Times Top Brands, the Future of Media Conference, MOST Awards, and a host of bespoke events for our clients. www.arenaevents.africa
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