PRETORIA - Coin manufacturer Cape Mint on Thursday honoured flamboyant Zimbabwean businessman Genius Kadungure in Cape Town.
The minting company gifted Kadungure with a huge, gold-embossed medal made by its master engravers "for inspiring hope to young entrepreneurs on the continent".
The company said it was honouring Africans who were impacting on people beyond their own communities.
Two weeks ago, Cape Mint's general manager, Howard Steenkamp, travelled to Namibia and presented the country's founding father, former president Dr. Sam Nujoma, with a gift "for successfully leading his country for 15 years since its independence".
Before the Rugby World Cup kicked off in Japan, the company announced that it has signed a three-year deal with South African Rugby Union’s (SARU) licensing agent, Signet, to produce commemorative Springboks Invictus Medallions honouring South Africa's national rugby team, which has now progressed to the finals of the tournament.
In terms of the agreement, Cape Mint manufactures, sells, and distributes the Springbok Invictus Medallions.
The medallions are inspired by Invictus, a film directed by Clint Eastwood based on the book by John Carlin "Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Changed a Nation."
The medallions feature the faces of players, including that of the team’s first black captain, Siya Kolisi.
“We want to give them some of the best gifts in life, celebrating who they are whether it’s in business, politics or sport," said Steenkamp.
Kadungure thanked the company for the gesture and for the work it was doing to empower Africans.
"I got the best gift of my life. It’s outstanding. I have friends that I grew up with but none of them has gifted me this way. I have known Frank (Buyanga) for more than a decade and today his team has surprised me. These guys are doing big things in Cape Town," said Kadungure.
Cape Mint is an African Medallion Group (AMG) company, which is owned by Johannesburg-based mogul Frank Buyanga, who has interests in financial services, mining, and property.
Buyanga took control of Cape Town-based Pagliari Group in May 2018, a subsidiary of Rand Refinery, which manufactures and supplies high quality minted products.