Dr Mengi wins prestigious business leadership award

IPP Executive Chairman Dr Reginald Mengi has won the Lifetime Achievement 2014 Award in the continental finals of the CNBC All Africa Business Leadership Awards (AABLA).

This was announced on Friday at a gala ceremony in Johannesburg attended by prominent business personalities from across Africa and beyond.


Roberta Naicker, Managing Director of the ABN group, said: “The CNBC Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards presented by Johnnie Walker Blue Label have celebrated excellence across the African continent in this, the fourth, season of the award.”

“As Africa’s foremost business media company, we congratulate those who have conquered their regions and now look forward to recognising Africa’s ultimate business visionaries who have made a noteworthy impact on the continent as a whole,” noted Naicker.

Meanwhile, ABN co-founder and Vice Chairman RakeshWahi said: “We are here to celebrate African corporate success and leadership. As we anxiously await the verdict of the judges, I’d like to take the opportunity to congratulate all our finalists. I don’t envy the role of the judges – today they choose the winner of winners.”

Lebogang Maile, a Gauteng Economic Development Member of the Executive Council (MEC) and keynote speaker, said the AABLAs were of great importance to the economic freedom of the African continent.

The ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ applauds the most consistent
visionaries in the African business landscape and celebrates the point where boldness and rare character meet.

Many Tanzanians have posted messages on social media congratulating Dr Mengi for winning the prestigious award and making Tanzania proud.

In a moving acceptance speech which drew enthusiastic applause from the audience, Dr Mengi dedicated his Award to the youth of Africa to inspire them to believe that they too can change their condition and throw off the chains of poverty.

“All you need are eyes that see opportunities and a willingness to work hard and NEVER NEVER give up,” he told the young entrepreneurs.

Some quotable quotes by Dr Mengi as he accepted the award: “Don’t wait to support society, do it... with business success comes a responsibility to give back to the society… There are so many ways to become wealthy without being corrupt… Africans must wake up from lies they’ve been subjected to for centuries: that Africa is a poor continent.”

‘The Business Leader of the Year Award’ was won by South Africa’s EOH Chief Executive Officer Asher Bohbot, while the Business Woman of the Year Award went to Kenya’s Keroche Breweries CEO Tabitha Karanja.

South African finalists Gil Oved and Ran Neu-Ner, who are CEOs of marketing advisory services firm Creative Counsel, won the ‘Young Business Leader(s) of the Year Award’, while Brimstone Investment Corporation founder Fred Robertson was awarded the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year Award’.