MARKET NEWS

Lindiwe Rakharebe scoops two awards for leadership

Despite the devastating impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought travel and conference tourism to a standstill, Lindiwe Rakharebe, chief executive officer of the Durban ICC, has bagged a second award– in two months – for her leadership qualities.

Lindiwe has just won the Leadership Award in the third annual Sebenza Awards, which focuses on recognising and celebrating top women for their brilliance, strength, and achievements in various fields of work.

Ms Rakharebe, who has been at the helm of Africa’s leading convention centre since April 2015, also took top honours last month in the Venue Representative of the Year category of the seventh Women in MICE Awards.

Meetings magazine and The Planner Guru website jointly hosted the celebration of the leading Women in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry to recognise the important role women play in the sector. Ms Rakharebe’s award was given to ‘the woman who has ensured the highest standards of guest and staff well-being by moving swiftly to implement measures that not only meet all requirements but exceed them’.

Ms Rakharebe said she owed the two latest awards to every man and woman employed at the Durban ICC.

“A leader is only as good as the team. It is the fortitude and resilience of our employees that has ensured the Durban ICC is post-pandemic ready.

“The success of our business depends on the satisfaction of our clients which, in turn, depends on the quality of the product we deliver and the level of customer service we provide. We set our goals high, working to achieve 100 per cent satisfaction from our clients and exhibitors."

“Unfortunately, at the beginning of 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic impacted our business more profoundly than anything to date. Nevertheless, we are filled with pride for all that we accomplished despite the challenges. As they say, ‘tough times don’t last; tough teams do’,” Ms Rakharebe said.

Kini Shandu, the founder of the Sebenza Awards, said that for too long, women in South Africa have been marginalised and still face gender-based violence daily.

“The Sebenza Awards brings about equality by identifying stars performing exceptional, extraordinary work in various sectors. We shine the spotlight on women, their contributions and position them in areas that create opportunities for them to excel even more,” Ms Shandu said.

Ms Shandu added that Ms Rakharebe’s award was even more significant, coming at a time when the pandemic hit the Durban ICC particularly hard, as it relies heavily on gatherings, which have been severely restricted as local, national and international travel came to a halt.

Glen Mashinini, chairman of the Board of Durban ICC, said: “However, our Lindiwe ensured that contingency measures were put in place to ensure the Durban ICC continued to provide the highest levels of infrastructure and service standards.

“We are proud of the Leadership Award bestowed on Ms Rakharebe for her sound leadership and outstanding achievements at a critical time.

“Her strengths, which include vision, inspiration, interpersonal communication and strategic and critical thinking have motivated the Durban ICC team’s efforts to put new measures in place, uphold all principles of corporate governance, diligent oversight and efficient financial and supply chain processes during a most challenging period,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Durban ICC has been nominated for the title of World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2021 on the World Travel Awards and hopes to win the heavily contested accolade at WTA’s Grand Final Gala Ceremony 2021, which will take place in Moscow on 26 November 2021.