Durban - A KwaZulu-Natal man was given a prestigious award by one of South Africa's biggest chain stores, Shoprite, when he walked off with the Divisional Manager of the Year.
Riaz Cotwal bagged the honour at the Shoprite Group’s 2019 Super Service Awards which took place in Cape Town this past weekend.
With more than 147 000 employees across 15 African countries, the group's annual Super Service Awards honour those teams and employees who have delivered outstanding customer service.
Cotwal (44), Divisional Manager for Checkers KwaZulu-Natal, has been working for the Shoprite Group since 1995 where he began his journey as a Trainee Manager at Shoprite Ladysmith.
His tenacity saw Cotwal climb the corporate ladder, first to the position of Sales Manager and then to Branch Manager, a position he held for seven years before being promoted to Regional Manager.
In March 2012 he took up the position of Trainee Deputy Divisional Manager and was promoted to Divisional Manager in July 2017.
Cotwal believes that hard work, and the support of a dedicated team, is the reason for his success.
“Wonderful things can be achieved through teamwork and collaboration. Great things in business are never done by one person, but rather by a team who work together towards a common vision,” he says.
“It is a privilege to lead our team of just over 6 000 employees in KwaZulu-Natal,” he adds.
Cotwal’s colleagues describe him as a pillar of strength who always pushes them to be their best by nurturing a culture of learning through sharing of knowledge.