BUSINESS Partner Limited Entrepreneur of the Year Award finalists are demonstrating how locally developed industrial solutions are powering South Africa’s economic growth, sustainability, and global competitiveness.
These industrial innovators are modernising South Africa’s manufacturing and mining sectors with sustainable, efficient, and locally developed solutions.
South Africa’s manufacturing output increased by 1.9% year-on-year in June 2025, showing momentum in industrial growth across key sectors, including chemicals, petroleum, metals, and food and beverages, supported by increased technological adoption and improved supply chains. Entrepreneurs like Tebogo Kale, Hamilton Stephenson and Raisibe Esther Senoamadi are at the forefront of this transformation, building solutions that make industry safer, smarter, and globally competitive.
Tebogo Kale, Gravitas Minerals
Tebogo Kale is redefining mineral processing. His company, Gravitas Minerals, developed the waterless Optima Process for coal separation, turning mining waste into a valuable commodity while minimising environmental impact. “I wanted to show that mining can be both productive and sustainable,” Kale explains. Under his leadership, Gravitas has patented multiple processing technologies and expanded its services to iron ore and manganese, providing clients with scalable, high-efficiency solutions that compete on a global scale.
Hamilton Stephenson, Technogrid (Pty) Ltd
When Hamilton Stephenson took over Technogrid in 2016, it was a shell company with just three employees. Today, it designs, tests, and manufactures specialised industrial safety systems, including strain energy absorbers, oleo-hydraulic buffers, and rail clipping systems, which are supplied locally and internationally. “We aimed to build industrial solutions that South African companies could trust anywhere in the world,” Stephenson says. With a skilled team and significant export revenue, Technogrid exemplifies local manufacturing excellence with global reach.
Raisibe Esther Senoamadi, Bashumi Instruments & Control Services
Raisibe Esther Lomo Senoamadi has grown Bashumi Instruments & Control Services from a basic supplier into a leading provider of complete laboratory solutions. With expertise in calibration, repairs, refurbishments, and renovations, Bashumi keeps laboratories running efficiently through fast, reliable, and cost-effective local solutions. “Our goal has always been to give labs efficient and reliable support without compromising quality,” says Senoamadi. Today, Bashumi proudly serves FMCG companies, public and research institutions, and industrial laboratories, providing the tools and services that keep innovation alive and thriving across the country.
