Mbuyelo hosted its debut Gala Dinner on the 25th of November 2011, at a venue fitting for the growing giants!

“Mbuyelo Legends” was the theme of the banquet. Mr R.O Siweya, commonly known as “Owner”, crowned the evening such to honor all individuals he compliments for their patience and loyalty towards the company. These individuals helped lay each brick that builds this very capable empire. “Along the way, I ran into people who till today I look at and I don’t know if I should be laughing or crying, because they have touched my company- my family in such a special way. These people had faith in me and offered their finances, shared their knowledge- their time and sometimes even offered their cars and office spaces, just to help my dream! Whether anything was to come out of their generosity, no one knew for sure...but they believed.” The office was filled with laughter as Mr Siweya replayed these heart-warming memories to his team. “I wish I had the power to show them just how grateful I am. I hope this evening gives them an idea of that gratitude!” he added on.

The evening seemed to draw near so quickly, yet the team at Mbuyelo was unnerved as preparations towards this evening were as thorough as they could come! The program was abundant with intelligent speakers and as rare is the species of wise men, it seems they had decided to gather here and share this special evening with us. Our guest speaker, Dr Don Mkwanazi had plenty lessons to give to up and coming BEE players. With his inspirational history of experience and knowledge, he was clearly a worthy candidate to impart his views on all the challenges and positives the company would be facing in an attempt to reach its goals.

Décor comprised of generous amounts of gold, blue and white, which fit well with the recently improved branding of the company. The entertainment was an assortment of music, poetry and comedy, all reflecting both our African culture and the culture of the company itself. All was fit for royalty!

Awards were kept a surprise to the worthy recipients. Even our guest of honour Mr Donald Sinclair Muller had no idea what was in store for him. However, another surprise was brewing as the Mbuyelo team turned the tables on Mr Siweya himself: A string of messages relayed what an impact Siweya has had on each of the Mbuyelo team members. These evoked intense emotions. One can almost guarantee that they had each person wondering what difference they had made, not to the ‘big- wide-world’, but to people in their intimate circles. All in all, everyone that came to gather in honour of this evening, left feeling more than just familiar with one another. There was a spirit of family that reverberated around the entire room and as it bounced off the walls, it penetrated the hearts of many there, leaving memories that would bring a smile to all faces upon recollection.

This night was monumental as the first, but we have faith it was the first of many. As we begin the New Year, we look forward to both blessings and challenges because we understand the concept of hard work paying off. ‘Ku tiyimisela, ku humelela!’