Management was so intrigued by the beautiful sound that they decided to start a choir to foster unity between the two Eskort plants, the other being in Estcourt, KwaZulu-Natal.
This initiative, born in 2016, created a positive environment to build the spirit between Eskort employees and made employees feel valued.
Five choirs compete as production departments usually during June each year. The first leg of the competition is an interdepartmental competition per factory. The winner gets to represent their factory in the second leg.
“We like to involve local artists as the judges and invite well-known and experienced local choristers.
“Last year’s head judge was Manqoba Ntombela from the popular musical group Woza Africa, which was famous in the 80s. He also runs a community arts centre called Woza Africa,” said Vanessa Miller, brand manager.
The first competition leg takes place in town halls in the respective towns and the factory staff take turns hosting each other for the second leg.
Not all factory workers are gifted with a singing talent. Arrangements for sports events like soccer and netball are also made to include those who are not musically gifted but who can represent their respective factories through other talents.
“The buzz during the preparation period is amazing and it boosts the team’s morale. It gives them a platform to do what they are passionate about with the company’s support and funding. The trophy is another driver, the outfit arrangements for the three genres: gospel, choral and traditional, the prize money that is offered to the top three departments and of course, the bragging rights of being the official Eskort choir for the year, are all motivating factors for competing,” she added.
Prizes range from R1 000 for the third team, R3 000 for the second team and R5 000 for the winners of the first leg. The ultimate prize of R10 000 is up for grabs for the overall winner.
The next competition will take place in June and the second leg in July. The choirs have performed in community events such as the official launch of Heidelberg Mall and at Ratanda Multipurpose Hall for a June 16 commemoration.
They are also booked for most internal celebrations like the Annual Long Service Awards ceremony that takes place every December.
“The singing factory workers spread joy throughout the company and especially with Worker’s Day that took place on May 1, we want to thank them for their loyalty and motivation,” Vanessa concluded.
