Annual Awards Celebration 2022

The formal part of the evening, lasting an hour, will recognise 25 high achievers, from whom we'll be selecting 5 winners in the categories of ESG, DE&I, Women and Young Business leaders, with the Chairman's Award covering all categories of business.

You can find out more about the finalists and winners on our dedicated Awards website here.

The wines for the evening have been donated by Bruce Jack Wine Estate and Gerhard Perold of Perold Wine Cellar, the grandson of the creator of Pinotage. For those wanting to know more, Gerhard will be available at the wine-tasting tables to answer your questions and share his experience about other vineyards from South Africa sharing the same cultivars, and how best to combine the different wines with different foods.

Finger food, cheese & biscuits, biltong & droewors will complement the drinks.

Wines available:
Chenin Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc
Chardonnay
Pinotage-Malbec
Cabernet Sauvignon

The keynote speech from Professor Stephen Chan, OBE, Professor of World Politics at SOAS, on the subject "SA Today, SA Tomorrow - Risks and Opportunities"

South Africa is experiencing VUCA, (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) in response to global changes, but also as a result of its own internal issues. On top of economic challenges and an energy crisis, the country is in the run up towards a major political contest in December for the leadership of the ANC, which will have a fundamental impact on the direction the country takes. That, in turn, will impact institutional governance, energy and water crises and the view of SA from the international investment community.

Will the various possible outcomes for the ANC leadership results affect how South Africa is able to meet its obligations to global and local markets, build confidence amongst investors, and step up to the challenges of climate change, national emergencies like the recent pandemic, and future economic growth. Additionally, the government faces challenges of inclusion, with many of the population, particularly youth, still existing outside of the mainstream economy.

It is against this backdrop that we shall hear the reflections of Professor Chan, Professor of World Politics, highlighting the risks and the opportunities in South Africa's near future.

SOAS describes Professor Chan as "... an international civil servant involved with several key diplomatic initiatives in Africa, helping to pioneer modern electoral observation, and continues to be seconded to diplomatic assignments today. He has twice been Dean at SOAS and has published 35 books and supervised 40 successful PhD theses. He won the 2010 International Studies Association prize, Eminent Scholar in Global Development and broadcasts and lectures internationally."

Watch the highlights of the Awards below: