Brand South Africa celebrates its nine categories’ winners
HOUGHTON – Around for ten years, the Brand South Africa programme recognises impact-based performers.
Celebrations, tears of joy, music and profound words were the order of the day at the Brand South Africa (Brand SA) Play Your Part Awards.
The awards, held at the Houghton Hotel on March 17, were the culmination of a year-long campaign where winners of nine categories as well as the flagship award would be presented with their accolades.
Chairperson of Brand SA Thandi Tobias-Pokolo congratulated all winners and thanked all who made the event possible. She highlighted that they were celebrating 10 years of their flagship programme.
“Over the past 10 years, Play Your Part has become a nationwide movement that touches countless lives daily. The Play Your Part ambassador programme is a way of identifying South Africans who in their work are making positive changes in the country. We encourage all South Africans to play an active role like all these winners are doing in society. Our plea is that citizens, young and old, should continue to fly the South African flag with pride,” said Tobias-Pokolo.
Event MC, poet Lebo Mashile said the winners would be officially brought on board as Brand SA ambassadors thus joining the ranks of so many people doing ‘beautiful’ work in society.
Co-emcee Thami ‘Dish’ Kotlolo added that the winners had not just excelled in their own capacity but also in wielding their influence that affected positive change in our country.
Country director of International Youth Foundation Anusha Naicker said, “This initiative brings international best practices, technical expertise to our country via Brand SA. You [award winners] are certainly creating a most enabling environment for us to showcase and drive results efficiently in representing and positioning South Africa internationally.”
She added that the brand’s regional presence had enabled the foundation to reach youth across the country, particularly previously disadvantaged young people, through the Technical Vocational Education and Training sector.
One of the judges for the awards, singer and actress Yvonne Chaka Chaka said all the winners were incredibly deserving. She encouraged everyone to play their part because ‘we are all ordinary until someone comes and unleashes that potential in you.’
Acting CEO of Brand SA Sithembile Ntombela said the country required a paradigm shift and ‘we cannot keep waiting for the government to make things happen. “Impact-based performance is what we are known for and Play Your Part is not a campaign but a movement, a vehicle which has done well in influencing you and your spheres to make a difference.”
Overall Brand SA Flagship Award winner (poverty alleviation award) Latiefa Jacobs of the Aurorah Kuils River Community Action Network (Can) encouraged all to give back as ‘it didn’t always have to cost money.
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