Elena Williams (DIT) & Rob Cannavo, Founder of Codex Capital South Africa

Rob Cannavo received the 2019 SA-UK Trade Award, sponsored by the UK Department for International Trade, for developing innovative solutions to promote the growth and sustainability of trade between the UK and South Africa.

A former South African trade diplomat, with overseas assignments including serving as Trade Commissioner in London, he then served as a Special Advisor to the UKTI team in South Africa. Rob established the first ever BEE (Black Economic Empowerment) Bilateral Partnership with the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) in South Africa and the first ever BP ED Fund, amongst numerous others. He is the founder of Codex Capital South Africa which advises and supports multinationals and SMEs gain access to key opportunities across all sectors of Southern Africa.

Do you know an individual or a business which is being recognised for their outstanding achievement in delivering increased trade in products and services between South Africa and the United Kingdom? Please nominate them by simply completing the online form on the SACC Business & Community Awards website.

Rob, one of the ten achievers recognised in last year’s ceremony, shares his experience of winning a SACC award:

“I was surprised and really pleased to have been recognised for my successes in promoting UK-SA trade. The awards evening was a really buzzing event with a lot of old familiar faces and contacts who share a passion for making a difference in South Africa. The SACC Community & Business Awards special contributes to recognising individual efforts made to promote South Africa and business relations in particular between the UK and SA. I think it also leaves everyone more invigorated in knowing that they can make a small but valuable difference. I continue to work with multinationals across Southern Africa, with a renewed focus on regional integration. The recent Africa Summit has seemingly awakened the UK to the potentials of Africa, as the ‘last frontier’.”

The SACC Business & Community Awards is a celebration of the best efforts and achievements of the South African community in the UK, all wrapped up into a fantastic gala evening.