KUGOMPO CITY -IWISA No.1 celebrated its 70th anniversary with its inaugural Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) Conference and Community Champions Awards at KuGompo City Hall, Thursday, 10 September 2026, attracting a record 1,447 entries nationally.
The conference and awards form part of the brand’s 70th anniversary celebration, aimed at moving beyond seven decades of nourishing families to empowering grassroots businesses, building resilient communities and honouring everyday heroes.
Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Senior brand manager consumer staples, Phumzile Nhlapo, said the campaign saw a significant jump from 500 entries last year to 1,447 this year, with 280 entries coming from the Eastern Cape.
Nhlapo said the introduction of the SMME conference was a deliberate shift to go beyond prize-giving and create a sustainable ecosystem for small businesses.During the ceremony, brand manager Nhlapo said this year’s programme was anchored on its 70th anniversary celebration.
“We had the SMMEs conference which was a first for us and this was part of our 70 year celebration. We had key talks in terms of access to funding, access to markets, social impact and networking,” she said.
Nhlapo added that the awards are about recognising everyday heroes.“This is about honouring South Africans who choose their communities every single day, despite the challenges,” Nhlapo emphasised.
Furthermore, Three Eastern Cape entrepreneurs walked away with top honours.
Alert the Royal founder Mphumzi Gcora from Ngcobo is the overall winner and recipient of R70,000.Gcora, who runs a business specialising in eggs and chicken meat, said it was his first time entering the competition.
“It was my first time entering the competition. I am very happy because my dreams finally came true and I always knew that they would come true,” he said.
According to Gcora, the prize money will be used to expand his operation.“With the R70,000 I will buy more stock and equipment so that my customers can find any products they want with good quality,” he added.
Billa Billa Energy Solutions founder Mando Mgcuwa from Qonce took second place with the amount of R50,000.Mgcuwa, whose company provides electricity and renewable energy solutions, said she had hoped to win.
“I had hope that I will win and I am incredibly happy even though it was hard and not easy. I am sure even for the judges it was not easy for them to decide,” she said.
She added that the prize would enable her to build a mobile trailer solar fridge.“With this R50,000 we are going to build a mobile trailer solar fridge.
To IWISA No.1, I am grateful that they gave me this opportunity,” she emphasised.In addition Kevinot Farming (Pty) Ltd managing director Nonope Tenzo described the competition as exceptionally tight as she managed to walk away with R30,000 in third place.
“The other entrepreneurs are doing such good work. I was even worried for the judges, how are they going to navigate because all the other entrepreneurs are really winners. I am so happy that I was chosen as number three. This R30,000 that I have won is already 30% of the way to my farm,” she said.
The initiative is a partnership between IWISA No.1, Premier Food and the Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), aimed at empowering grassroots businesses and building resilient communities.
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