The national winners of this year’s brandhouse Number One Taxi Driver Campaign were announced yesterday at a prestigious gala dinner held at Birchwood Conference Centre in Boksburg east of Johannesburg.
27 regional finalists representing all nine provinces competed for the top prizes during a four day advanced and defensive driving course at the Gerotek Testing Facility in Hartebeespoort.
Four best taxi drivers went away with brand new Toyota 14-seater minibuses and shared with taxi owners and associations free fuel vouchers to the total value of R150 000 and other cash prizes. The remaining finalists did not walk away empty handed as they were offered R3500.00 each in cash.
Mike MABASA, corporate relations director at brandhouse was full of praise for the winners of this year’s campaign and urged them to serve as role models to the taxi industry, by improving commuter safety and promoting responsible drinking.
“I would like to congratulate this year’s safest taxi drivers in the country. We are proud once again to have delivered responsible drivers to the industry. This takes us closer to reaching our objective of improving commuter safety on our roads,” says MABASA.
“Apart from road safety, skills training and instilling a commitment to never drink and drive are the objectives of the campaign, “adds MABASA.
The brandhouse Number One Taxi Driver campaign, the first public-private sector partnership of its kind in the industry, was created by brandhouse in 2004. It is conducted in partnership with the Department of Transport, Toyota, Caltex and taxi associations, SANTACO and the NTA.
Besides promoting road safety, offering skills training and instilling a commitment to never drink and drive in our taxi community, the brandhouse Number One Taxi Driver campaign also aims to enrich communities by setting up black-owned enterprises in the lucrative and expanding transport sector.
MABASA hopes that Mr. E.Q. Martin, Mr. S.G. Dyantyi, Mr. T.G. Keswa and Mr. S.P. Mashaba who all won one Toyota Quantum minibus each will follow in the footsteps of the previous winners and become successful entrepreneurs.
“Another aspiration of this campaign is to help the government in the fight against unemployment by empowering entrepreneurs. As a business, it is our responsibility to contribute to the social development of the country and that is why this campaign, not only provides an opportunity for taxi drivers to own a taxi, but it also it paves the way for the way for them to become active participants of the economy by starting their own businesses,” concludes Mabasa.
The 2012 national winners are:
WINNER DRIVERS
1st Place Category winning Drivers: Three winners
- Mr. E.Q. Martin from Paarl in Western Cape
- Mr. S.G. Dyantyi from Gugulethu in Western Cape
- Mr. T.G. Keswa from Ixopo in KwaZulu Natal
Prize: 14 Seater Toyota Ses’fikile Quantum each +
Caltex Petroleum worth R 50 000.00 each
2nd Place Category winning Drivers: Three winners
- Mr. B.F. Mahlangu from Groblersdal in Limpopo
- Mr. N. Ntepang from Kuruman in North West
- Mr. N.P. Buthelezi from Port Shepstone in KwaZulu Natal
Prize: R 20 000.00 cash each
3rd Place Category winning Drivers: Three winners
- Mr. T.W. Mabelane
- Mr. T.K. Kgoro
- Mr. T. Chauke
Prize: R 15 000.00 cash each
Commuter Competition – Winning Driver
- Mr. S.P. Mashaba from Thulamahashe in Mpumalanga
Prize: 14 Seater Toyota Ses’fikile Quantum each +
Caltex Petroleum worth R 50 000.00 each
DRIVER OWNERS
1st Place Category winning Driver Owner: Three winners
- E. Bocks from Paarl in Western Cape
- Siyanda Myindi from Gugulethu in Western Cape
- B.Z Keswa from Ixopo in KwaZulu Natal
Prize: Caltex Petroleum worth R 20 000.00 each
2nd Place Category winning Driver Owners: Three winners
- A. Mahlangu from Groblersdal in Limpopo
- T.J Bojosi from Kuruman in North West
- S. Ngcobo from Port Shepstone in KwaZulu Natal
Prize: Caltex Petroleum worth R 20 000.00 each
3rd Place Category winning Driver Owners: Three winners
- Mandla Mashilo from Brits in North West
- P.W Kgoro from Kuruman in Northern Cape
- G.K Khosa from Thohoyando in Limpopo
Prize: Caltex Petroleum worth R 15 000.00 each
TAXI ASSOCIATION
1st Place Category winning Driver Taxi Association: Three winners
Winner 1: United Taxi Association
Winner 2: Central Unity Taxi Association
Winner 3: UMzimkhulu Taxi Association
Prize: R 7 500.00 cash each
2nd Place Category winning Driver Taxi Association: Three winners
Winner 1: Groblesdal Taxi Association
Winner 2: Kuruman Taxi Association
Winner 3: Kwa-Mashu Association
Prize: R 5 000.00 cash each
3rd Place Category winning Drivers Taxi Association: Three winners
Winner 1: Letlhabile Brits Taxi Association
Winner 2: Kuruman Taxi Association
Winner 3: Twananani Taxi Associaton
Prize: R 3 000.00 cash each
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