Mustek: SA`s proud home-grown innovator

Issued by Mecer
Johannesburg, 25 Feb 2005

Mustek, SA`s leading branded assembler and distributor of Mecer PCs, notebooks and related products, was decorated with the prestigious Proudly South African Home-grown Innovator of the Year Award in the corporate category (150 employees or more) at a celebratory event opened by President Thabo Mbeki.

The company won this award for the inspirational manner in which it has embraced SA`s challenges and worked to overcome them with innovative home-grown solutions.

The Home-grown Innovator of the Year is awarded to a company that has developed an innovative product or service that has created a new market category, redefined a category, or that has significantly improved local choice and competitiveness in a product or service category.

An example of this Proudly South African company`s innovation is the Inter-ED system, which is an outcomes-based education courseware system that caters for the foundation school phases, ie Grades 0, 1, 2 and 3, and it is available in all SA`s 11 official languages. At this time over 30 000 disadvantaged students have already benefited from receiving tuition through the Inter-Ed system in their mother tongue.

Three hundred guests joined Mustek and the other winners to celebrate in an abandoned bread factory in Milpark, Johannesburg, which was appropriately transformed into a Proudly South African space. The building`s rustic, earthy atmosphere formed a powerful backdrop for the occasion`s home-grown theme. Guests included President Thabo Mbeki, minister Mandisi Mpahlwa, minister of trade and industry, the director-general of the DTI, Tim Modise, chairman of Proudly South African, board members of Proudly South African, Ronnie Watson, CEO of WesBank a major awards sponsor, finalists in the Proudly South African Home-grown Awards as well as representatives of business, government, labour and the broader community among others.

Mustek was presented with a handcrafted wire creation made by Cape-based wire and sculpture company, Streetwires Artists Collective. The trophy is a unique work of art modelled on a three-dimensional rendition of Home-grown`s logo. As one of the first members of the Proudly South African campaign, it is fitting that Streetwires made the trophies. Each of the trophies Awarded to the Home-grown 2004 winners is special in its own way - it has its own personality and a unique story to tell - just like the person or team it has been awarded to.

Proudly SA

Proudly South African is a powerful multi-level campaign to promote South African organisations, companies, product and services that demonstrate high quality, at least 50% local content and good labour and environmental practices. Proudly South African promotes its members and their products and services to the consumer and business/government buyer, encouraging South Africans to buy locally-made products bearing the Proudly South African logo.

The campaign aims to stimulate demand for South African-made products, boosting the local economy and creating conditions that increase employment. It also shows consumers that they have personal roles to play in helping to grow the economy by buying Proudly South African products and services. Proudly South African is building a national brand that inspires pride in SA`s businesses, product achievements, successes and innovations. Chairman of the campaign is well-known media personality and broadcaster, Tim Modise.