Development Bank celebrates outstanding businesses at the 2023 Good Business Awards
The Development Bank of Namibia (DBN) recently hosted the 2023 Good Business Awards in recognition of exemplary businesses, with Brandplan Advertising clinching the top spot in the SME category.
Brandplan Advertising, a homegrown branding and signage manufacturing company, showcased its excellence through a diverse range of offerings, including fully fitted joinery, corporate wear, safety gear, signage solutions, and more. Since its establishment in 2016, the company has remained at the forefront of innovation in branding technology, specializing in customized in-house manufacturing.
Competing alongside Brandplan Advertising were distinguished finalists in the SME category: Kryo Investments Namibia, a significant player in the industrial gas sector, and Uukalinawa Pharmacy, a thriving pharmaceutical establishment with branches in Ongwediva and Ondangwa, catering to a wide spectrum of healthcare needs.
In the category of large enterprises, Nampath Laboratories emerged victorious for its exceptional medical laboratory diagnostic services, serving both private and state doctors. The company, founded in 2012 by Esegiel Gaeb, prides itself on being a cornerstone of Namibian healthcare, offering convenient pathology testing services. The runner-up in this category, Oluno Shell Filling Station, owned by Mr Sagarias Hangula and Mrs Sarah Hangula, stands as a testament to local entrepreneurship, having utilized a DBN loan to establish a fully-fledged filling station with a 24-hour convenience store, contributing significantly to economic growth in Ondangwa.
Addressing the audience, Hon. Iipumbu Shiimi, Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises highlighted the judging criteria for the awards, emphasising the significance of job creation, sustainable resource utilization, and sound governance.
He commended the finalists and winners as drivers of development and essential components of the enterprise ecosystem.
DBN Chief Executive, Dr. John Steytler underscored the importance of these awards, stating that good business transcends meeting market demands; it encompasses adaptability to economic fluctuations and the prudent accumulation of capital for growth and resilience.
The Good Business Awards, according to Dr. Steytler, not only honor sustainable and well-managed enterprises but also serve as exemplars for others in the industry, fostering a culture of success and resilience.
Steytler emphasised the learning aspect for the Bank and other businesses, with the finalists and winners serving as benchmarks for the Bank’s assessment of its borrowers, ensuring continuous improvement in its support and assistance to businesses.
The 2023 Good Business Awards thus concluded on a note of celebration and inspiration, reaffirming the commitment to fostering sustainable, innovative, and resilient businesses within Namibia’s economic landscape.
Winners’ cheque for N$250 000 from left to right; Ms Evangelina Nailenge, Deputy Chairperson of the DBN Board, Mr Esegiel Gaeb from Nampath Laboratories, and Hon Shiimi, Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises.
