JNTLE wins 2024 Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year Award
Johannesburg, South Africa – Approximately 8.4 million people are unemployed in South Africa, an increase of 3.2 million from ten years ago. Youth unemployment in South Africa is even more critical. According to Statistics South Africa, nearly 49% of individuals aged 15 to 24 are unemployed, highlighting the severe lack of opportunities for the youth. With South Africa facing such a high unemployment rate, poverty, and inequality, a sustainable and supported entrepreneurship ecosystemcan potentially drive real change, E Squared Investments hosted its 3rd annual Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards recently.
Gladwyn Leeuw, CEO of E Squared said: “We aim to celebrate entrepreneurs within our portfolio for their commitment to creating valuable ventures that will start to paint a picture of a more prosperous Africa. Our continent faces significant barriers to creating and maintaining prosperity. These include high unemployment rates, income inequality, poverty and essential infrastructure that is required for our ventures to thrive. We believe, however, that these obstacles can be overcome through responsible entrepreneurship.”
While there is no universal definition of responsible entrepreneurship, E Squared, believes that responsible entrepreneurs are characterised by their long-term impact vision and personal commitment to ethical values and behaviours within and beyond the businesses they create and grow.
The Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards acknowledge and recognise those businesses within the E Squared Ventures portfolio whose values, culture, and practices embody the principles of responsible entrepreneurship, where social, environmental, and ethical considerations alongside financial success are prioritised. Since its inception, E Squared Ventures has made a total of R661m in commercial investments, grants and early-stage business support across various industries and stages, includingthe provision of bespoke, hands-on, value-creating, post-investment support.
This year’s theme, “Transforming the Future of Africa through Entrepreneurship,” underscores E Squared’s dedication to nurturing entrepreneurship across the continent and driving meaningful change within African industries and communities.
“Entrepreneurship and entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the growth of our economy, not only in South Africa but across our continent,” said Gladwyn Leeuw. “All the nominees in this year’s Responsible Entrepreneurship Awards exhibited a dedication to integrity, innovation, and sustainability in their business practices, cultivating positive social impact while driving economic growth. We couldn’t be prouder of the role these businesses are playing in transforming the future of Africa.”
Voted for by their immediate stakeholders, the following accolades were awarded to these businesses that embody integrity, innovation, and a strong commitment to sustainable and ethical practices:
CATEGORY 1: Responsible Founder and Venture Values
Winner: Media Measure
This award celebrates entrepreneurs who are committed to making long-term sustainable contributions to society, have ambition for work combined with personal humility, and practice responsible stewardship with their available resources.
CATEGORY 2: Responsible Venture Culture:
Winner: The Future of Logistics
This award honours entrepreneurs who acknowledge and celebrate human diversity, enhanced by respect and empathy. They continuously seek innovative and creative approaches to address customer needs and foster an environment of continuous learning and improvement to drive disruptive thinking and transformative ideas.
CATEGORY 3: Responsible Business Practices:
Winner: JNTLE
This award recognises the growth in a company’s total value and their success in implementing governance structures and best practice models to support transparent and effective decision-making that drives delivery, sustainability, social impact, and ethical stakeholder engagement.
2024 Responsible Entrepreneur of the Year Award:
Winner: JNTLE
The JNTLE Group of companies includes:
- Aventura, which provides bespoke luxury travel experiences to Africa for Spanish speaking travellers;
- Droid, which is a long-term marketing partner for a carefully-chosen portfolio of high-end Travel destinations; and
- Xplorio, an online community that provides up-to-date information about the Overberg region of South Africa.
“Responsible entrepreneurs are a unique breed, aiming to transform industries and society. They challenge and refine cultural assumptions, laws, regulations, and governance processes, often requiring them to think and act beyond the typical expectations of business leaders,” says Tshilidzi Matlala, Chief Portfolio Officer at E Squared Investments.
“Entrepreneurship is one of the important drivers of no less than 6 of the 17 UN SDGs. Therefore, it is an important space to invest in,” said Dr Judy Dlamini, who delivered the evening’s keynote address. “One of the biggest values underpinning responsible business is integrity. Responsibility doesn’t only start when you become an entrepreneur and in your entrepreneurial endeavours. Responsibility starts from being responsible in your own life.” She added.
The ceremony, held in Hyde Park on Saturday 9 November, also shone a spotlight on E Squared’s commitment to collaboration and co-investment, building strategic partnerships across the entrepreneurship ecosystem. This collaborative approach amplifies impact, fostering long-term success and growth for each portfolio company.
