We recently took a moment to reflect on how far we have come as a company and the country. South Africa has slowly been shifting to a better space as a developing country. As GL events South Africa we have been making positive strides in establishing ourselves as international players in the world of events. We have extended our footprint internationally and have been involved in major projects, i.e. the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Palembang and Indonesia, 2018 FIFA World cup in Russia, Special games in Abu Dhabi and Cop 25 to name a few.
For our local people who joined the company in its early days, it has been a fulfilling and rewarding journey to be able to witness the growth and be a part of it. GL events have made a significant contribution over the years in upskilling and developing its employees, investing in education and creating sustainable careers. Some of the employees, who started as general workers with little or no qualifications, now occupy supervisory or managerial positions and have developed tremendously.
We had an opportunity of speaking with Jeremiah Vilakazi, the Site Operations Manager based in the Johannesburg branch and who has been involved in most of the international projects in the past few years including the ones listed above. During the interview, Jeremiah recalls how he started out as a Stand builder back in 2007, with no dream of ever managing a team of over 30 site workers. He has been with GL events since 2007 and his gradual growth has been so inspiring. We listened to him as he beams with excitement taking us through the events of his career life, the passion for what he does clearly visible on his face.
"I remember the time when I started working in GL events, I had been working in the exhibition industry for a while and had considerable experience in my trade: shell scheme building and electrical. My eagerness to learn repositioned me and placed me at an advantage to grow in my trade within a very short space of time," said Jeremiah.
"At the time, my focus was solely on doing my job seamlessly and I must say that I was completely taken by surprise when I was chosen to be part of the team that will be placed on international projects. I had not thought that my manager at the time was noticing me or the effort I put in my work. I knew at that moment that I was doing something right and I would have to keep at it," added Jeremiah.
Research has proven that investing in your employee's professional growth is not only crucial for business growth but also positively impacts workplace engagement, employee retention and employee empowerment. Overall business performance is improved 10 times when employees feel taken care of by their employer.
GL events also recognise that to remain relevant with our ever-more demanding customers and within the industry - employee development is crucial to the success of the business. It is through such advances that we continue to stay committed to our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandate "Think People" by promoting mobility, employee training, career development and diversity.
We commend Jeremiah and all the team members who worked with him on our international projects for their hard work and encourage them to maintain their spirit of hard work, dedication and commitment they have all shown to the business over the years. As an organisation, we are taking positive steps towards empowering and developing our employees and inspiring them to yearn for a more positive and bright future.
