Oracle won first place in the Education/Training/Skills development category in the annual American Chamber of Commerce Stars of Africa 2013 Awards for the Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School.
The award was presented at the annual Awards dinner in Sandton on 28 November 2013.
The American Chamber of Commerce gives out awards for excellence in corporate social leadership every two years. This is open to all members of AMCHAM, which consists of 85% American companies and 15% South African companies that do business with American companies.
“ICT skills are fundamental to business success and are an area of focus and importance to Oracle,” says Pieter Bensch, VP and MD, Oracle South Africa.
“The Ponelopele Oracle Secondary School is our flagship Corporate Socio-Economic Development project in South Africa and has achieved phenomenal results since opening in March 2007. We are very proud to have received the Stars of Africa award this year.”
Carol O’Brien, executive director, American Chamber of Commerce South Africa says, “We were delighted that Oracle won the Gold Award in the Education Skills and Training Category. This is an important focus area for South Africa if we want the country to eradicate poverty and unemployment.”
One of the judges had this to add, “Overall, this is a model that needs to be encouraged. Oracle is not only donating funds for physical structure, but is using its expertise to turn the school into an enviable site for education. This commitment has yielded such a high impact for the community.”