The presentation of these awards is a momentous occasion, and we reflect on the role that packaging plays in our lives and the way it enables trade and commerce throughout Africa.
‘Packaging,’ he continues, ‘is a fundamental infrastructure that needs to be internalised in Africa if we are to move the continent to the next level. If we are to internationalise Africa so that it can participate in global trade, packaging needs to be seriously addressed – it should be the next silent ambassador for Africa.’
And the judges were . . .
The AfriStar Awards are about promoting innovation, identifying the best solutions to Africa’s packaging challenges, maximising exports and minimising imports.
They’re also about benchmarking and keeping pace with global technological developments, as well as applauding outstanding design – including construction, graphics, convenience, product protection and ecological impact.
When it comes to considering these diverse aspects, the judging panel offered many years’ experience in the packaging or related industries, plus in-depth knowledge in a number of disciplines.
Making their deliberations under the beady eyes of facilitators, Bill Marshall and Vanessa von Holdt, they watched out for packaging that demonstrates and showcases the state of the art in Africa.
Apart from the judges featured below, others were Joseph Nyongesa (Kenya); Sachindra Shetty (Tanzania); and Erich Kühl (South Africa)
Ahmed Omah is first VP of the APO, which he co-founded in 2011, and a founding member and current general secretary of the Institute of Packaging Nigeria. He’s also a board member of WPO and has served on the WorldStar jury. He’s also a premium member of the Institute of Packaging Professionals in the US; and has attended courses at Michigan State University’s School of Packaging and the Indian Institute of Packaging. He brings more than two decades’ experience in paper and paperboard packaging to the judging panel.
Kofi Essuman is a senior advisor with the International Trade Centre, Geneva, with particular responsibility for export packaging. He’s a founding member and past president of the Institute of Packaging Ghana, a founding member of the APO and has served on the board of the WPO. In addition to a long list of his many impressive professional appointments and associations, Kofi has worked in the food processing and packaging industries for the past 30 years, mostly with Unilever.
Keith Pearson, WPO’s current secretary general, offers an engineering background and many years of packaging industry experience. For 32 years, with the Kohler group, he worked in the fields of corrugated, carton and print, cores and tubes, bags and sacks. In addition, Keith is a past national chairman of the Institute of Packaging South Africa and a past president of the World Packaging Organisation. He has extensive experience in judging the international WorldStar awards as well as South Africa’s Gold Pack Awards.
Kishan Singh, with a BSc in chemistry and biochemistry from the University of Durban, is currently national chairman of the Institute of Packaging South Africa (IPSA). He has represented IPSA at packaging conferences in India and Tanzania, delivering papers on topics such as South African packaging trends, statistics in packaging quality, and the environmental Impact of packaging; and currently serves on the WPO board. He is a lecturer in packaging technology IPSAÕs One-Year Diploma in Packaging Technology.
Annabe Pretorius, a graduate in polymer science from the University of Stellenbosch, brings invaluable knowledge of polymers in particular and plastics packaging in general to the judging panel. She has extensive experience in judging South Africa’s Gold Pack Awards. She just loves plastic Ð if it is innovative, fun and recyclable, so much more! She spent the last 30 years in the South African plastics industry and now runs her own consultancy, and is closely involved with a number of industry organisations.
Keith Dilkes joined Polyaok Packaging in February 2012 to help develop the company’s markets outside South Africa. He previously worked for the retail department of the Shell Oil Company, where he gained extensive knowledge of various African markets as part of the team that developed the Select Food Stores at selected Shell Service Stations throughout the continent.
Click Here to see all the winners.
