This archive report was first published on 6 October 2019.
On October 6, 2019, B Lab East Africa, a non-profit organization, honored 12 SMEs as the best for The World 2019 Honorees. These companies excelled in safeguarding the environmental and socio-economic interests of communities in Africa.
The honorees included Pearl Capital Partners, Kuza Biashara, Olivelink Healthcare, Vava Coffee, and Trutrade, among others. They were recognized for achieving the highest environmental, community, customer, worker, and overall impact.
B Lab East Africa Executive Director Ngwing Kimani said the companies awarded were the most outstanding among those assessed. “This is a new breed of business leaders who have identified an issue in society and devise ways to solve the challenge while making profit,” she said.
B Lab East Africa Board Chairman Robert Karanja emphasized that companies focused solely on generating profit with little regard for people and the environment do not have a future. “Some of the big companies that were in existence 10 years ago have closed shop. They might have been making profit but because they did not look at people and planet, business became unsustainable,” he said.
Among the honorees, Pearl Capital Partners stood out in the customer category for its portfolio management with an investment of Sh2 billion, leading to rural economic growth, creation of employment opportunities, and increasing food security.
