South Africa, Cape Town, 6 October 2009: Africa investor (Ai), a leading international investment research and communication group, today announced the shortlist for its annual Africa investor Investment and Business Leader Awards.
The Africa investor Awards are unique pan-African investment awards that recognise and reward the achievements of the private sector across wide-ranging sectors and disciplines. Each year, the Ai Awards attracts international market leaders and business leaders from across the continent and salutes their achievements.
Africa needs more examples of good governance, and strong visionary leadership and this year's Awards will place particular emphasis on recognising Africa's business leaders navigating their organisations and the continent through the financial crisis. The 2009 Investment and Business Leader Awards ceremony will take place during a gathering of global finance and business leaders at the Africa investor CEO Forum and UNEP Finance Initiative Global Roundtable Gala Dinner on 22 of October, in Cape Town, South Africa at the Cape Town International Convention Centre.
The Best Initiative in Support of SMEs & the Millennium Developments Goals category sees a shortlisted number of top performing companies, including Harith Fund Managers, MTN, Barclays Bank of Egypt, and Coca Cola amongst others. Rwanda Capital Markets Regulator, the Investment Climate Facility for Africa and the World Bank contend for gold in the Investment Climate Initiative of the Year category, while Nedbank Capital, Standard Chartered and Barclays Bank of Kenya go head-to-head in the Bank of the Year category.
Shortlisted organisations in the Investment Promotion Agency of the Year category include Uganda Promotion Agency, Botswana's Export Development and Investment Authority (BEDIA) and the Board of Investment (BOI) Mauritius. PetroSA, Standard Bank and IEA (International Energy Insurers) have all been shortlisted for Leadership in Sustainable Investment in Africa category.
Africa's Innovation Leader of the Year category has attracted nominations from some of Africa's most seasoned business leaders including Arnold Ekpe, Ecobank; Tshepo Mahloele, Harith Fund Managers and Phuthuma Nhleko, MTN. The hotly-contested African Businesswoman of the Year category will see Maria Ramos, ABSA; Elizabeth Ursula Anderson, Responsible Packaging Management Association of Southern Africa; Monhla Hlahla, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA); Evelyn Mungai, All African Business Women's Association and Joman Salama, Barclays Bank of Egypt, compete for title of winner.
Tom Boardman, Nedbank Capital; James Mwangi, Equity Bank and Jose de Lima Massano, Banco Africano de Investmento (BAI) have all been nominated for Africa Business Leader of the Year. The International Business Leader of the Year category shortlist includes Eric Schmidt, Google Inc; Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti and Bruce Wrobel, Sithe Global Power, whilst the Up & Coming Future Leader of the Year category includes nominations from Oswald Boateng, Bespoke Couture; Elias Pungong, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Wale Tinubu, Oando. For the full shortlist please see below.
Commenting on the awards shortlist, Hubert Danso, Vice Chairman, Africa investor, said: “The increased quality and quantity of entries received for this year's Awards process is testament to the leadership and resilience of businesses operating on the continent, despite the economic downturn, and we are delighted to be recognising them in front of the global investment community at such a prestigious ceremony held in association with UNEP FI.”
The Awards will coincide with the Africa investor CEO Forum on Infrastructure, Energy & Clean Tech Projects and run on 21 October 2009 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The Summit will facilitate bankable infrastructure investment project pitches from developers and sponsors, one-on-one meetings with investors and dialogue with infrastructure regulators on specific projects. It will also focus on energy and clean technology projects and look at the priorities identified by UNEP FI and other entities to mobilise the skills and resources of the banking, investment and insurance sectors behind an effective, efficient and equitable global deal on climate change that will be tabled at COP15 in Copenhagen.
2009 Africa investor Investment and Business Leader Awards Full Shortlist:
Best Initiative in support of SME's & the Millennium Developments Goals
Harith Fund Managers
MTN Group
Barclays Bank of Egypt
Blue Financial Services
Coca Cola
Investment Climate Initiative of the Year
Rwanda Capital Markets Regulator
Investment Climate Facility for Africa
EU BizClim Facility
UNCTAD
World Bank Doing Business Survey
Bank of the Year
Nedbank Capital
Standard Chartered
Ecobank
Barclays Bank of Kenya
Standard Bank
Carbon Finance Initiative of the Year
CAMCO
Ecosecurities Africa Projects
Standard Bank
World Bank Carbon Finance
Nedbank
Venture Capital Deal of the Year
Actis
Shanduka Fund Managers
Emerging Capital Partners
Azure
African Alliance
Employer & Human Capital Investor of the Year
Ernst & Young
Imperial Logistics
Accenture
Coca Cola
Microsoft
Institutional Investor of the Year
Ghana SSNIT
Investec Asset Management
European Investment Bank
African Development Bank
Overseas Private Investment Corporation
Investment Promotion Agency of the Year
Uganda Promotion Agency
Botswana BEDIA
The Board of Investment (BOI) Mauritius
Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC)
Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC)
Leadership in Sustainable Investment in Africa
PetroSA
Standard Bank
Nedbank
Coca-Cola
IEI (International Energy Insurers)
Nestle
Africa's Innovation Leader of the Year
Arnold Ekpe - Ecobank
Tshepo Mahloele - Harith Fund Managers
Phuthuma Nhleko - MTN Group
Loic le Guisquet - Oracle
Michael Joseph - Safaricom
African Businesswoman of the Year
Maria Ramos - ABSA Group
Elizabeth Ursula Anderson - Responsible Packaging Management Association of Southern Africa
Monhla Hlahla - ACSA
Evelyn Mungai - All African Business Women's Association
Joman Salama - Barclays Bank of Egypt
Africa Business Leader of the Year
Jose de Lima Massano – Banco Africano de Investmentos
Arnold Ekpe - Ecobank
Othman Benjelloun - BMCE (Banque Morocaine du Commerce Exterieur)
Phuthuma Nhleko - MTN Group
Tom Boardman - Nedbank Capital
International Business Leader of the Year
Eric Schmidt - Google Inc
Sunil Bharti Mittal - Bharti
Bruce Wrobel - Sithe Global Power
Jeffrey R. Immelt - General Electric
Samuel J. Palsimo - IBM
Up & Coming Future Leader of the Year
Oswald Boateng-Bespoke Couture
Elias Pungong - PricewaterhouseCoopers
Phuti Malabie - Shanduka Energy
Wale Tinubu - Oando PLC
Simphiwe Tshabalala - Standard Bank
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