EThekwini Municipality and its investments promotion unit, Invest Durban, have collectively scooped no fewer than eight Diamond Arrow Awards in the prestigious PMR.africa awards, an annual awards event which is designed to augment competitiveness, enhance excellence and set benchmarks in industry.

PMR.africa, a division of CJ Hattingh & Sons, is a leading South African consultancy and research company. It publishes a business journal, together with an online version, serving as a vehicle for the publication of the results of its various surveys, thus branding companies and institutions identified in such
surveys as entities with massive potential, whilst recognising excellence across all industry sectors.

The 2018 PMR.africa KwaZulu-Natal Province Business Excellence Awards Ceremony, held at the Greyville Convention Centre today (22 October 2018), saw eThekwini Municipality, incorporating Invest Durban, being nominated as the ‘Highest Rated’ municipality in a total of eight different categories.

Invest Durban (formerly known as DIPA), a unit of the eThekwini Municipality responsible for the vital promotion and facilitation of new business investment in Greater Durban, received Diamond Awards in two categories, namely Municipalities doing most to attract foreign/international investment to KwaZulu-Natal
and Municipalities doing most to attract local investment in KwaZulu-Natal.

Top honours in a further six categories went to eThekwini Municipality. These included Municipalities doing most for social upliftment in KwaZulu-Natal, Municipalities doing most for job creation in KwaZulu-Natal, Municipalities doing most to fight crime in KwaZulu-Natal, Municipalities doing most to develop and enhance infrastructure in KwaZulu-Natal, Municipalities doing most to clean the environment in KwaZulu-
Natal and Municipalities doing most to attract tourism to KwaZulu-Natal.

Commenting on the swathe of awards, the result of PMR.africa’s annual survey of KwaZulu-Natal, undertaken in April and May this year, eThekwini Municipality Mayor, Cllr Zandile Gumede, said: “We are greatly encouraged and very pleased that our business stakeholders and other community leaders are recognising the renewed efforts by eThekwini Municipality to further improve in key
performance areas.”

She added: “I must congratulate all the members of my management team for their hard work; work which has culminated in stakeholder recognition of their concerted and unified efforts and which enables them to enjoy the accolades which go with the presentation of these highly coveted awards.”

The awards function provided an opportunity for PMR.africa to present its esteemed Diamond, Gold, Silver and Bronze awards to companies, institutions and individuals that have excelled. The event is widely regarded as a public acknowledgement of the valued contributions and sheer hard work of award recipients.