Hollywood Foundation announce the return of Bambelela Business Awards

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The Hollywood Foundation has announced the return of the Gauteng edition of the Bambelela Business Awards, an initiative supported by the Gauteng Department of Economic Department.

This is a prestigious event that honours the extraordinary contributions of local entrepreneurs.

These awards not only spotlight their transformative impact on communities but also celebrate their crucial role in job creation across the region.

The theme, “Bambelela (loosely translated Hold On) – Your Dreams Are Valid,” is a powerful reminder of the resilience and tenacity that defines Gauteng’s entrepreneurial spirit.

The Bambelela Business Awards are more than a recognition of talent; they are a beacon of support, offering tangible resources and encouragement to those forging ahead on their entrepreneurial journey.

The Bambelela Business Awards were initially launched in 2023 in Mpumalanga. The Awards have since successfully taken place in Gauteng, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape, assisting 120 SMMEs with a total contribution of over R4.7 million. 

Returning for the second consecutive year in Gauteng, this year’s winners will walk away with the prestige of a Bambelela Award and a share of R1 Million in funding, an increase from the previous year’s prize pool of R750 000.

This underscores the Foundation’s commitment to boosting local businesses and further empowering Gauteng’s entrepreneurs.

The awards ceremony will begin with an Exhibition and Seminar, where selected small businesses will have the opportunity to showcase their innovative work to the public.

The competition will be fierce, as a panel of esteemed judges evaluates each entry, seeking out the businesses that have demonstrated exceptional merit, creativity, and community impact.

Babongile Mkhize, Group Transformation Manager for the Hollywood Foundation, shared her excitement about this year’s awards: “The Bambelela Business Awards are our way of uplifting and empowering the vibrant entrepreneurial community in Gauteng.

“We are proud to celebrate the resilience, creativity, and unwavering dedication of local entrepreneurs who are helping to shape a prosperous future for the region.”

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Speaking about the Partnership between Gauteng Department of Economic Development and the Hollywood Foundation, Acting Head of Department Mpho Nawa said that the Hollywood Foundation Bambelela Business awards would build and cement confidence in township-based businesses.

“We have inspirational stories of township entrepreneurs breaking through hostile and adverse conditions of the apartheid system, which effectively criminalised and stifled black enterprise and building formidable brands and industries.

“We need a new generation of successful township businesspeople who are engaged in various sectors of the economy, producing the very goods that our households consume on a daily basis.

Hollywood Foundation invite businesses to seize the opportunity

“We have to break the paradigm of townships only being consumer-driven service economies to townships as productive sites and thriving commercial centres. We are proud to be partners with Hollywood Foundation and hope that this is the start of a long and rewarding partnership”. 

The Hollywood Foundation invites all eligible small businesses in Gauteng to seize this incredible opportunity.

Entries for the Bambelela Business Awards are officially open as of 1 October 2024.

Qualifying companies are strongly encouraged to submit their entries online by visiting the Hollywood Foundation‘s website before the submission deadline on 31 October 2024, at 23:59.