Press Release
INDUSTRY LEADERSHIP AWARDS TO BE HELD IN JUNE IN NAIROBI
Various companies are set to be honored mid this year in the Annual Top Companies awards dubbed Pacesetters Awards (PSA) organized by Jubilant Stewards of Africa (
JSA), a Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to the improvement of living standards, social ethics, dignity and empowerment of communities. The organizers of this Key Industry Leadership recognition said in a statement sent to the newsroom that this year’s awards will be hosted in five African countries’ capital starting with Nairobi (June), Kampala (August), Dar Es Salaam instead of Dodoma (September), Lusaka (November) and Cape Town (December) respectively. Plans are underway to have the award finals in South Africa that will bring top winning firms from various countries together to enhance networking and peer-to-peer collaboration. The Pacesetters Awards are an annual industry leadership recognition and appraisal award that seek to honour industry leaders for their innovation, quality products, service provision, job creation, exemplary leadership, economic growth, and societal transformation. As a result, these awards are based on the economic and social impact rather than the balance sheet.
Various institutions have shown interest to partner with organizers to ensure the success of this year’s Awards in various countries. Last year some of the institutions that partnered with the Jubilant Stewards of Africa included Telecommunication giant Safaricom Plc, Myspace Properties Ltd, Quipbank Trust Limited and Nation Media Group.
Jared Oundo, Executive Director Jubilant Stewards of Africa, “Pacesetters Awards considers a range of quantitative and qualitative aspects in order to determine and honor the winners. A novel survey model was initiated in 2020 as per the hyperinflationary environment. The model has since been tested and it demonstrated its functionality, elasticity and robustness. Furthermore, models in various industries such as the financial sector were remodeled in order to enhance their significance to the current environment, enhance quality and increase the objectivity of results.”
Some of the notable names that were honored in the last year’s award and have also been nominated for this year’s recognitions include; Kenya’s leading telecommunications service provider Safaricom, Digital lender Zenka Finance, City Walk, Kevian Kenya LTD Afia drink Manufacturer, the online shopping platform Jiji Kenya, Regional Leasing firm – Vehicle and Equipment Leasing Limited (VAELL) , Security Firm – Jeff Hamilton, Mwananchi Credit, ASA International, Digital Driving School and the Kampala based Fintech firm Service Cops. Some of these Pacesetting firms have also featured in other awards, such as the Top 100 companies by Nation Media Group KPMG Survey, East African Business Council, South Africa’s Titan Building Nation awards among others. In 2020 Nation Media Group’s Pauline Ongaji was honored in the category of Impactful journalism.
The new entrants in the 2022 awards include Optiven Group, UAP Old Mutual Group, Maxxis Tyres, Ukulima SACCO, SGA Security and a couple of tire one banks. The organizers will be sharing the full shortlist after various nominees have been contacted and standardization is done in a press conference to be held in a Nairobi Hotel.
The awards are based on the Performance Index (OPI) where processes and systems are scrutinized and benchmarked to globally accepted standards. The awards honor institutions and individuals that have chosen not only to survive but to seize current adverse conditions to reshape mindsets and behaviors, embracing the opportunity to innovate fresh solutions and make bold bets that spur growth. The award winners are thoroughly scrutinized and competitively chosen through a process that includes a public vote as well as a panel of experienced judges with exemplary achievements, industry respect, and unquestioned integrity and character. The judges work independently and fairly, with no preference for one candidate or company over another.
The PSA awards were last two years held irrespective of the Covid-19 pandemic scare at the time when organizers of such prestigious awards were unable to due to the threats brought by the virus. The awards ran under the theme “investing in the future”, as institutions and entrepreneurs are innovating to achieve their dreams in the face of the unpredictable environment.
The Pacesetters Awards factor into how institutions and individuals have been able to innovate and solve various problems. The survey recognizes the challenges and idiosyncrasies that have been created by Covid-19 and other pandemics such as Russian Ukraine War. Such pandemics have come with new deviations and introduced uncertainties in various institutions and the economy at large. Threats to the endeavors of institutions and entrepreneurs are more real and more pronounced under the conditions such as those prompted by the virus. To a greater extent, institutions need to make increasingly tough decisions faster, under conditions that are extremely, ambiguous, volatile and normally with scarce information.
Caption: From Left Jared Oundo, the Executive Director of Jubilant Stewards of Africa, hands over the trophy to Zenka Finance representatives (Sylvia Kahiri and Fridah Ouko) while Dr. Lily Sego hands over the certificate, far right on looking Dr. Mary Boniface CEO Jubilant Stewards of Africa during the Annual Pacesetters Awards Ceremony held at Panari Hotel Nairobi
“We’ve decided to host these awards in various select cities to give several companies in those countries and their neighborhoods an opportunity to participate. The last two awards held in Nairobi, in 2020 and 2021, drew entries from various firms and individuals from various African countries including Uganda, Ghana, Botswana and Sierra Leone and hence the need to move the awards closer to the participants,” said Mr. Oundo.
Speaking in Kampala Uganda, Mathias Kamugasho, the Managing Director of Service Cops Limited said, “The organizers have already interviewed our staff and clientele as part of their background check. We hope to feature on the final list and bag another award to add to the awards including the Pacesetters Awards (PSA) 2021 and the National Informational Technology Authority (NITA) Awards. Should we sail through the final list after the vigorous process, we are happy that we don’t have to travel to other countries to receive the award, therefore, cutting costs and saving time. The fact that this prestigious award is being held in Kampala for the first time, is a key indicator that the world is starting to recognize the Pearl of Africa,”
Caption: From Left Jared Oundo, the Executive Director Jubilant Stewards of Africa, and in the middle Hon. Jaoko Oburu Odinga CECM of Infrastructure Siaya County hands over Certificate and trophy to Service Cops Ltd Uganda representative, far right on looking Dr Mary Boniface CEO Jubilant Stewards of Africa during the Annual Pacesetters Awards Ceremony held at Panari Hotel Nairobi
Unlike most awards held in Africa, the Pacesetters Award always is a ‘People’s Choice’ award where those attending the event will choose their overall winner. This is done to give the attendees an element of control and ensure that they’re invested in the night and the Chief Pacesetter is not imposed on them.
Dr. Mary Boniface, Jubilant Stewards of Africa the CEO in charge of Kenya, said “we sent out our research team in five countries to survey as we prepare for the awards in the respective cities and they have brought us the results. We are now assessing them based on various factors. We will not do this alone we will work with various partners we are currently engaging.”
ABOUT JUBILANT STEWARDS OF AFRICA (JSA)
Jubilant Stewards of Africa (JSA) is a Non-Governmental Organization dedicated to the improvement of living standards, social ethics, dignity and empowerment of communities. JSA is registered with the NGO Bureau of Kenya to conserve the environment, provide access to education, health care services, increase agricultural production, and promote peace. Over the years, we have been widely involved in leadership training, mentorship programs, Capacity building, business support, environmental advocacy and protection, training of farmers, crusades against drug and substance abuse, promotion of peaceful coexistence, campaign for responsible sexual behavior to bring up a responsible and a dependable generation. As an Umbrella of NGOs and other Community-Based Organizations, we work with strategic partners to serve humanity.
ABOUT PACESETTERS AWARDS
Pacesetters Awards (PSA) survey is a one-year Industry leadership Recognition appraisal initiated by Jubilant Stewards of Africa (JSA), a Non-Governmental Organization, to celebrate industry leaders for their innovation, quality products, services, job creation, exemplary leadership, growing the economy and transforming the society. The winners in various categories were competitively selected through a thorough process that partly involved a public vote and a panel of judges.
PSA seeks to encourage organizations and individuals to go beyond the call of duty in their service to humanity. PSA awards don’t just look at excellence as being top in the industry but look at the processes involved and how organizations go out of their way to serve humanity. It also purposes to promote best practices and ethics in industry leadership. The awards are based on the Performance Index (OPI) where processes and systems are scrutinized and benchmarked against globally acceptable standards. Pacesetters Awards recognize and celebrate the key players in various categories who have over the years achieved outstanding results and made positive contributions to their industry growth.
https://www.jubilantstewards.org/pacesetter-award-industry-leadership-recognition-survey/
For More Information, please contact:
Jared Rasugu
Head Media and Communication
Jubilant Stewards of Africa
Cell: +254 (0) 719-408-244/ +256 (0) 756-058-058
Tel: +254(0)780408244/0202120091/+254794322883
Email: admin@jubilantstewards.org partner@jubilantstewards.org