National Productivity Awards 2015

In any event graced by business, labour and government, companies adjudged to be the most productive in 2015 by Productivity SA were bestowed with awards and accolades. The National Productivity Awards were held at the Emperors Palace in Kempton Park, Johannesburg this past weekend. The National Productivity Awards are managed by Productivity SA and were held in conjunction with the Ekurhuleni Municipality and Department of Labour (DoL).

Through awarding organisations from the public, private and emerging sectors, Productivity SA aims to encourage other organisations to strive to be productive and globally competitive. Speaking at the awards ceremony, The Deputy Minister of the Labour Department, Inkosi Phatekile Holomisa, said the awards aim to improve productivity and competitiveness in the workplace throughout South Africa through the recognition of individuals, organisations and communities for their contributions to building South Africa’s productive capacity.

According to the Chairperson of the Productivity SA Board, Mr Mthunzi Mdwaba, the national awards provide a platform to inspire a competitive and productive South Africa and productivity improvement is considered the most effective way of ensuring ongoing competitiveness, economic growth and, consequently, more wealth for all.

The primary aim of the National Productivity Awards is to galvanise companies into adopting productivity as a fundamental tool to be more competitive. Keynote Speaker at the awards and acting General Secretary of the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU), Mr Bheki Ntshalintshali, said business, labour and government need to work together to achieve a common goal in the workplace. Productivity SA was created in 1969 as the then National Productivity Institute (NPI) and it focused on;

Providing assistance to individual companies in their productivity improvement programs.
Creating productivity awareness through information services, general seminars, study missions, publicity, etc.

Conducting research in the field of productivity and related matters.
Promoting training and education through specific programs and by assisting the relevant authorities to ensure that the final products of training are productive people who match the needs of the job market.

The winners of the awards were:

Emerging Sector
Tshedza Concrete Art – Limpopo

Co-operatives Sector
Bakutudi Co-operative – Limpopo

Public Sector
Transnet Port Terminal (Port Elizabeth & Ngqura Terminals)- Eastern Cape

Corporate Sector
K-Way Manufacturer (Pty) Ltd – Western Cape
H & M Rollers – Kwazulu Natal
GIBB Engineering and Architecture – Gauteng

Innovation Category
H & M Rollers – Kwazulu Natal