Printing South Africa, in partnership with the FP&M SETA, held its National Annual Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Accolades Boutique Venue in Midrand on 5 October 2023. The event sought to celebrate the achievements and resilience of the printing and packaging industry, while also acknowledging the achievements and excellence of Printing SA’s board members and top performing students. Africa Print was a proud media partner of the event.
The mixture of the 1920’s meets carnival theme made for a jubilant and festive celebration. The proceedings were hosted by Printing SA’s Marketing Manager, Abisha Katerere. Printing SA’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Abdool Majid Mahomed, provided the opening speech, and he applauded the printing industry for its resilience in tackling the onslaught of Covid-19 and loadshedding with such fervour. He praised the employers and staff of the printing industry for having ‘a dream,’ ‘doing the right thing’ and having the ‘tenacity and grit to persevere against the odds’.
‘In Robert Frost’s famous poem, ‘The road not taken’, he describes two roads, one the road that was well trodden on and had many travellers, and the other, the one less travelled. He chose the latter, like yourselves, and that has made all the difference. You are living embodiments of that credo of taking the road less travelled, and making the impact you have,’ said Dr Mahomed.
Dr Felleng Yende, CEO of FP&M SETA, gave the keynote speech, in which she highlighted the great delight she took in seeing her colleagues and the Printing SA students being recognised for their ‘exemplary and dedicated efforts’. Dr Yende also highlighted the importance of the packaging and printing industry within the South African economy, with the sector ’employing approximately 51,000 employees and contributing to two percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).’Printing SA Hosts National Annual Gala Dinner
She also highlighted the industry’s growth in spite of recent national and global challenges and the stark shift towards the digital age within the sector. Other notable mentions were her praise for the printing and packing industries’ goal alignment with the movement towards a sustainable future; the industry’s involvement in upskilling the youth and the achievements of women in print. ‘FP&M SETA is here to ensure that our partnership with industry will grow from strength to strength,’ concluded Dr Yende.
Simon Downes, the President of Printing SA, uplifted guests by providing hope and evidence for a prosperous future for not only the printing and packaging industry, but the country as a whole. Speaking about the growth of infrastructure and business development, such as power stations coming back online, the extension of the country’s railway system and the move towards privatisation, Downes painted a bright future of South Africa’s economy. ‘I encourage you all to go with gusto, invest in technology and invest in your businesses. Don’t be shy, be brave. One has to look to the future,’ concluded Downes.
The TT3 awards ceremony took place in partnership with Charnia Yapp, Publisher of Africa Print. Practical Publishing generously provided cash prizes for the awards, which were presented to the top achievers of Printing SA’s education programme. The recipients were: Loftus Oganne of the Central Chamber in first place, in joint second place were Siyanda Ndwendwe of the Central Chamber and Tshamano Thabelo of the Northern Chamber and in third place was Malaisha Edward Motseleng of the Central Chamber.
The board member certificates were presented to the members of the Printing SA Board by Dr Yende. The recipients were Simon Downes, Richard Downes, Lucas McDowall, Andrew Tinker, Dr Mahomed, Jermaine Naicker, Zayed Bagus, Heilet Grobler and Dr Yende. The prestigious Gutenberg Award Certificate was presented by Annette Fawks of Canon South Africa to Teresa Adinolfi. The award recognises exceptional achievement of an individual that has been voted for by their peers, in recognition of their efforts in their contribution to the printing, packaging, signage and visual communications industry over a period of time.
The lucky draw and best dressed prizes were presented by Kyocera representative, Melaney Soares. The winners of the lucky draw were: Lucas McDowall, Chancelle Ncube and Thomas du Sart. The winner of best dressed male was Keith Solomon of the South African Institute of Printing and the winner of best dressed female was Queen Mbokazi of Coleus Packaging.
The band, The Morning After, served as entertainment for the evening with The Accolades Boutique providing a three course meal.
PRINTING SA
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