Saab Grintek Defence wins South African Exporter Award 2016

The SA Premier Business Awards is organised by the DTI, in partnership with Proudly South Africa and Brand South Africa.

Saab's local South African defence and security company Saab Grintek Defence (SGD) was once again awarded the Exporter Award at the 4th annual SA Premier Business Awards, held in Johannesburg, on 6 December 2016.

The SA Premier Business Awards acknowledges business excellence in South Africa and is organised by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), in partnership with Proudly South Africa and Brand South Africa.

The Exporter Award recognises all export industry sectors, from services to manufacturing, and encourages other South African companies to participate in international business development and markets. It also highlights South African enterprises that invest in both human and technical resources in various projects or activities; produce quality products and services; and remain locally and internationally competitive.

"It is an honour to once again win the acclaimed Exporter Award. Not only is it a recognition of the quality of products we produce in South Africa, but more importantly, the dedication, technical skills and hard work of our local employees. Their commitment to ensuring the quality of our products enables us to compete on the international market," says Trevor Raman, CEO at Saab Grintek Defence.

With 80% of its orders coming from other countries, most of SGD's locally produced products are exported, bringing valuable income into South Africa.

Already named Exporter of the Year in 2013 and 2014 by the South African DTI, the company remains focused on investing within the country's borders to further create jobs and boost export revenues.

"In addition to actively seeking export opportunities, SGD works closely with the South African government to identify opportunities to supply cost-effective and high performance defence solutions, contributing to South Africa's defence sovereignty and self-sufficiency," says Raman.

Today, SGD has grown to be Saab's biggest operation outside Sweden, employing 719 people across its three sites in South Africa.