Local black empowered company Abnoba has been selected a finalist in the Enablis ICT Entrepreneur Challenge for its Business Process Automation and Management submission. Abnoba is one of 22 finalists out of a total of 145 submissions this year.
Abnoba CEO Fairoz Jaffer is ecstatic about being nominated as a finalist in this prestigious business challenge. "The next phase of the judging process is now taking place and we are very excited by the prospects of being a finalist. This next phase will involve a more detailed process of evaluating the finalist entrepreneurs and their business ideas or existing businesses."
"Enablis will help Abnoba become a formidable market player by ensuring that we have the resources to do so," adds Shanaaz Scharffenorth, director and shareholder for Abnoba.
Martin Feinstein, CEO of Enablis SA, says: "Shanaaz and Fairoz are the type of entrepreneurs that South Africa needs, and their business passion, integrity and vision is what Enablis is all about. We hope to help accelerate their business growth and sustainability, and in so doing, have a ripple effect with job creation and technology skills development."
The finalists in Category "A" for business ideas are in line to be selected as one of the five winners who will receive computer and software prizes, as well as business support and advice to the value of R50 000, including free membership of Enablis. The purpose of the business support is to help develop the business idea and get it closer to launch stage.
Category "B" finalists for existing businesses are also in line to be selected as one of five winners who will be eligible for loan guarantee funding, computer and software prizes, as well as business membership of Enablis.
The finalist will be announced on the 27th October 2005 by Charles Sirois, Global CEO and Chairman of the Enablis Entrepreneurial Network.
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Abnoba is a South African-based software solutions provider that has followed black economic empowerment (BEE) principles since inception, focusing on business process automation. We provide business solutions that improve productivity and reduce operational costs - ultimately improving profitability.
We provide information capture, imaging, management and process automation consulting and solutions for today`s rapidly changing and complex needs. Abnoba enables customers to leverage existing ERP and line of business investments by accessing and storing business information, automating processes across the organisation and externally with partners and customers, and enabling online, real-time collaboration around transactions. As a result, organisations can significantly improve processing efficiency, reduce operating costs and enhance customer and partner satisfaction.
Abnoba is 100% black owned with 50% black female ownership. We are a "Technology Top 100 Company" and a "Finalist for African Achievers for Top ICT SMME". Shanaaz Scharffenorth, Abnoba shareholder, is a "Finalist for African Achievers for Top Black Woman in ICT". Fairoz Jaffer was a finalist in two categories for Black ICT Achievers 2001 for Black ICT Professional of the Year and Infopreneurs in Africa. www.abnoba.co.za
Enablis
Enablis is an innovative global non-profit organisation of entrepreneurs dedicated to help bridge the digital divide by helping other entrepreneurs develop sustainable businesses. The digital divide is the gap between those with access to, and knowledge of, information and communication technology (ICT) and those without.
The Enablis team aims to achieve these objectives by supporting member entrepreneurs with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that use, or are intending to use, the power of ICT in ways that expand digital opportunities and social impact, and widen access to technology.
Operating on commercial principles, we provide intensive business guidance and support combined with critical early-stage business financing. Enablis member entrepreneurs become part of a close-knit business network with access to wider local and global business expertise, opportunities and funding.
As founding private sector sponsors, Accenture, HP and Telesystem provided the resources, skills and expertise required during the start-up phase of the company. www.enablis.co.za
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