NAMIBIAN Natasha /Awases has beaten her peers in South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland to the award as furniture giant Ellerines' Best Credit Manager.

/Awases (31), born and bred in Grootfontein, received her award at an Ellerines Holdings' ceremony at the Zabula Lodge outside Johannesburg, South Africa, last week.

“I was very excited, it was a huge surprise for me,” /Awases told The Namibian yesterday.

/Awases started as a casual stock clerk at Grootfontein Beares Store, part of the Ellerines group, in 2005. After a year, she was moved to the store's sales department, and in 2007 she became a credit advisor.

/Awases was promoted to credit manager at the Grootfontien branch in 2008.

Ray De Bruin, branch manager of Grootfontein Beares, said the award was the best possible encouragement for employees in Namibia to work harder and to work themselves up.

“This will motivate other employees to try harder, our own [/Awases] has proven to be one of the best,” De Bruin said.