Reddy’s EPG powers up women
Group sends young woman to a global contest in Russia
AS SOUTH Africans celebrated Madiba’s birthday by giving up 67 minutes of their time to improve the lives of the less fortunate, Edison Power Group (EPG) went a notch up to guarantee a bright future for 21-year-old Philile Jessica Mngadi and many other young women.
The 40-year-old company owned by respected entrepreneur Vivian Reddy has sent the young woman who hails from eNanda, in the valley of eMzinyathi, north-west of Durban, to represent EPG as well as South Africa at the 45th Edition of the World Skills Competition in Kazan, Russia, this year.
Brian Mpono, 35, EPG’s group corporate affairs executive in South Africa’s oldest black-owned electrical power giant, said the move was a deliberate step to bringing more women into the sector.
He said they were proud to be the first company to radically drive transformation through skills development and transfer.
“The depth of experience and knowledge that has flanked Philile over the past three years of her apprenticeship at Edison Power is far beyond the text book,” said Mpono, the company’s youngest executive tasked with the responsibility of driving EPG’s expansion into the rest of Africa.
“Many have questioned us, asking why there aren’t any (black) women at the forefront of South Africa’s electrical power giant.
“The simple answer is that for many years the engineering field as a whole has had some serious catching up to do when it comes to levelling the playing field and represent the country’s demographics post 1994,” he said.
Mpono said it was important for EPG, as a black-owned company, to play a huge part and lead from the front as Africa’s most diversified electrical power company.
“It might not dent the colour or gender lines immediately but our recent accolade is indicative of the visionary foresight Edison Power Group established 40 years ago.
“No immediate reference to executive chairman and founder Vivian Reddy himself. Rather though, the seed and vision he planted 40 years ago,” he said.
The accolade Mpono was referring to is that of EPG being named the Best Electrical Company in South Africa for the 10th consecutive year.
Consultancy firm PMR Africa’s chief executive Johan Hattingh said this was an unprecedented achievement for any business in South Africa.
The company received its 10th Diamond Arrow Award at a glittering Business Leaders event at the Royal Johannesburg & Kensington Club last month.
Hattingh added: “This award is based on an annual research process where the respondents representing the construction industry in South Africa rated the Edison Power Group across a range of criteria and attributes such as accommodating client requirements, expertise, quality, responsiveness, reputation, and punctuality.
“This award reflects the ethos of the Edison Power that is courage, professionalism and leadership.”
Reddy said the company’s philosophy was to deliver quality workmanship and outputs, and he was glad they were being recognised for this.
“I am really humbled by this award and all those that went before this. It is certainly in recognition of the commitment to hard work and dedication executed by our entire workforce at Edison Power Group.
“Bearing this in mind, I dedicate this award to the workers of Edison Power, who have sacrificed thousands of hours of hard work to satisfy our client base, allow me to mention my chief executive officer of the Power Division, Bazil Govender, who leads the team with force and determination where excellence and quality is the mantra,” Reddy said.
Mpono said EPG’s apprenticeship programme proves that skills development was the cornerstone to its excellence through uplifting young women such as Mngadi.
“The company is focused on skills development. Recently Philile Mngadi, a third year electrical apprentice at Edison Power, powered her way through the World Skills Competition,” he said.
The first leg was the regional competition held in Durban where she won. She went on further to win at provincial level.
“Then took top honours at the national competition. The next step for her is the 45th World Skills finals set to take place on August 22 to 27.
“What an honourable and prestigious way to also celebrate the month of women,” Mpono said.
EPG has been a veritable rags to riches tale.
Reddy began the company four decades ago with just R500 and a borrowed Nissan bakkie to create arguably the largest black owned electrical contracting company in South Africa.
Reddy’s eureka moment came when he met astronaut Neil Armstrong on a Boy Scout World Jamboree visit to Japan. Young Reddy on asking the first man on the moon for an advice on his secret to success and was told: “If You Dream It, You Can Achieve It.”
“Persistence prevails when all else fails.” This has been the 66-year-old entrepreneur’s mantra over the years.
Besides the company having the most diversified electrical power infrastructure business in Africa, it has also ventured into other specialist fields, including industrial electrification, transmission and distribution, smart energy solutions, utility services, communications solutions, power quality monitoring and renewable energy.
Following his successes, Reddy dedicated much of his life to philanthropic work.
The Vivian Reddy Foundation and associated Trusts have contributed millions of rand towards upliftment, educational, cultural and religious programmes.
Reddy, for his business and philanthropic successes, has received numerous national and international awards.
He has been recognised by Forbes Magazine as “one of the leading entrepreneurs of Africa”, and is a past winner of the South African Community Services Award owing to his humanitarian work.