Durban’s Most Loved Local Businesses Revealed:
Last week I was invited to a business breakfast courtesy of Santam to hear about successful local businesses from Durban.
Image caption: The owners of Durban’s Most Loved Local businesses, Kirk Maddocks, Samkelo Ngcobo, Nondumiso Mkhize, and Anwar Essop. (Image: Rogan Ward).
What do a fast-food takeaway shop, fitness boot camp, carpet and upholstery cleaning service, social media marketing company and beachside massage service all have
in common? They’ve all topped the list of Durban’s most loved local businesses by successfully turning their clients into lifelong fans.
Five of Durban’s most loved local businesses have been selected based on nominations from residents in a recent radio poll.
They were formally announced on 10 April bySantam, South Africa’s largest general insurer, at a Business Breakfast which honoured local entrepreneurs.
With many of Durban’s well-known entrepreneurs in attendance, the breakfast focused on building longevity of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) by shining a
spotlight on opportunities that create an enabling environment to assist SMEs to thrive.
“SMEs are responsible for 60% of the labour-force in South Africa, and the impact of that is significant. Not just in terms of job creation but also, very importantly, as the
providers of the products and services we’ve all come to rely on. Entrepreneurs need to safeguard their livelihood and Santam has a critical role to play here. Businesses rely on us to help manage the insurance related risks that will help keep their doors open and their fans coming back for more. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously,” says Gerald van Wyk, Head: Business Development at Santam. “We’re passionate about empowering and supporting entrepreneurs. Beyond insurance, we’re continuously creating platforms to connect and showcase the SMEs that play a pivotal role in our economy and are integral in the communities in which they operate.”
The selection process for Durban’s most loved local businesses was conducted with East Cost Radio. Listeners were asked to call in and nominate the local business they simply could not live without.
Nominations were submitted and winners chosen from the large number of
entries, carefully selected by the team based on each businesses commitment to delivering exceptional service and standout quality products, going above and beyond
what was expected of them, and endearing themselves to the local community in a way that turned their customers into lifelong loyal fans. To celebrate these success
stories, the five winning businesses also received certificates of commendation from Santam.
The winners were:
Health & Fitness Invasion
Nominated by: Ayanda Mbuthu
A company that helps people to look and feel good about themselves in the name of fitness.
Jollyz Xpress
Nominated by: Shaheed Essop
Jollyz Xpress is a fast food takeaway situated in Prince Umhlangane Road.
Nondz Beach Massage Experience
Nominated by: Sibonokuhle Maduna
“She is the first black woman I know to give such a great experience to the community by giving massages at the beach.”
KB Carpet & Upholstery Cleaners
Nominated by: Ettiene Potgieter
“KB Carpet and Upholstery Cleaners has been around for many years. ‘’
iNCO Creative
Nominated by: Tiffany Esau
A social media marketing company that takes pride in every client.
Renowned author and entrepreneur, Mike Saunders, was the keynote speaker at the breakfast event and shared key take outs from his book The Five Year Mark, a
collection of his lessons learnt while establishing his own business.
Saunders says that SMEs are very close to his heart as they bring value to people in the forms of self-worth and employment.
His four tips for entrepreneurs starting out on their journey were:
· Chart your own course. Don’t get caught up in best practices. Best practices are best practices because everyone does them and you’re not going to stand out in the business world if you do what everybody else does.
· Focus on your output. If you cannot produce anything for the market then you don’t have a business.
· Be willing to pivot to what your clients want. You constantly need to listen to what your clients and your market want, and then meet those needs.
· Learn how to delegate.
This edition by Fred Felton | Twitter @fredfelton
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