The Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation and Chairperson of the National Planning Commission, Jeff Radebe delivered the keynote address at the 14^th annual National Business Awards at Emperors palace on Thursday, 17 November.

The National Business Awards are held to showcase, explore and share the best practices, policies and strategies in business. The awards recognize those demonstrating the greatest impact on quality of life, economic prosperity or regeneration through direct investment, pro bono work or employee led initiatives. The awards also seek to demonstrate the link between corporate citizenship and commercial success, from staff engagement and development to reputation and brand awareness.

In his address, themed “The Role of Business in Creating and Stronger Nation,” he drew parallels between government and business. “The value of public-private partnerships is that they are mutually beneficial. Their strength is that they help businesses grow their customer base and increase their profit margins while at the same time addressing government imperatives like employment creation. This is the reason why inclusive growth is central in the development agenda of the South African government” he said.

The awards were attended by delegates from the various business enterprises, captains of the industry as well as government representatives. The award categories include a variety of areas such as Top Performing Entrepreneur, Top Young Executive Award and Top Performing Public Service Award.

Radebe concluded by saying that, “these awards affirm your stature as a critical player in the development of our society. It is through collaborative efforts such as this one that we can attain the goals that are articulated in the NDP Vision 2030”.