JOHANNESBURG, 5 OCTOBER 2023 – Winners and finalists of the Accenture 11th Africa Gender Mainstreaming Awards 2023 (GMAs) were recognised and celebrated at two outstanding live events held in Nairobi and Johannesburg on 5 October 2023, with Accra being hosted on 7 October and Lagos on 13 October.  The events in total will host 1000 delegates physically and many more virtually across the Africa region.

Corporates and individuals who have shown a remarkable commitment to gender mainstreaming are celebrated for their palpable efforts and results.  We celebrate gender mainstreaming champions from East, West and Southern African organisations and individuals recognised by the judges as being at the forefront of advancing the business case for gender mainstreaming.

The Awards are an initiative of Business Engage Association NPC and  Accenture is the naming partner for the third consecutive year. Other sponsors and supporters of the event across Africa include : Accenture, Johannesburg Stock Exchange, AECI, Vodacom, DP World, Assupol Life, SA Human Rights Commission, Sunday Times, Rand Merchant Bank (RMB), Institute of Directors of South Africa, East Africa Breweries Limited, Cummins Africa Middle East, Car and General, NCBA, Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) Ltd, Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (Ghana) Limited, NMB Bank and UN Women.

The awards are judged by a well-respected panel of 70 adjudicators across the continent. "We are proud to have seen a a tremendous increase in overall entries received.  In many cases, the judging proved to be very difficulry because of the level of entries submitted and the high level of entries. The shared stories propel us further forward to Africa becoming the gender hub from which we export stories of success in gender mainstreaming rather than always importing stories from other continents.  The stories on the African continent are rich and deserve more of a platform on an international stage," states Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage.

“Accenture has been a proud supporter of gender mainstreaming in the workplace as we recognise the business value that gender mainstreaming brings to the well being of our people, partners, clients and communities we operate in,” says Khethiwe Nkuna, Responsible Business Executive at Accenture in Africa.

“Business leaders have the power to close the gender gap and unlock human potential, creating an environment in which everyone can thrive and advance. I couldn’t be more proud to associate with the 2023 GMAs – the platform enabled us to further influence and adopt new polices, tools and procedures to attract, develop and retain female talent inside and outside our organisations, and ultimately, unlock the growth potential by achieving a true gender equality in the workplace,” says Nkuna.                   

Njabulo Mashigo, HR Director for Vodacom South Africa says “We are extremely proud to have an opportunity to be a sponsor for this year’s Gender Mainstreaming Awards which celebrate those making a real difference in this area. Addressing the ongoing gender inequality that exists in the workplace is a key step in combatting skills shortages, improving innovation, and driving progress in our market. This is especially true of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths fields where women, especially women of colour are still largely excluded. For many years now Vodacom has focused on driving female empowerment through various programs which promote diversity and inclusion both within our own organisation and generally within the technology space. The improvements to the gender profile of our board which is now comprised of 50% black women and our hugely successful ‘Code Like a Girl’ program are testament to our commitment to growing female empowerment in the technology space both at home and across Africa” .

Says Bridget Mokwena-Halala, Assupol CEO: “Transformation is always at the helm of our agenda; hence we are deliberate in our efforts to appoint women in strategic positions and contribute to a society that supports and embraces the empowerment of its women.  Assupol is proud to be involved in the 2023 Gender Mainstreaming Awards. As leaders in our industry, we take the responsibility to lead by example very seriously.”

Champions in the 2023 round of entries

Congratulations to Cummins Africa Middle East  for being crowned the 2023 Gender Mainstreaming Champion : Africa. Regionally, the awards went to EOH Holdings Limited for Southern Africa and Standard Chartered Kenya in East Africa for their gender mainstreaming strides.

Entrants competed for the Inclusive Leader Awards in the Individual Category. Inclusive Leader South Africa : Bertina Engelbrecht.

For East Africa, Betty Korir.

Entrants competed for the Positive Role Model Award in the Individual Category. Positive Role Model South Africa : Bertina Engelbrecht.

For East Africa : Evelyn Ngatia.

The special sponsored category, RMB's Africa’s Fearless Thinker award, went to Bertina Engelbrecht.

“Our longstanding relationship with the Business Engage and the Gender Mainstreaming Awards is an attestation to our commitment to a more gender equal future. We continuously work towards creating an environment where women feel they are empowered to achieve their individual career goals and are committed to growing the number of women in leadership in financial services.” - Dharshni Padayachee, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, RMB

The company categories for celebrating the businesses' achievements were Economic Empowerment, Women Empowerment in the Workplace, Equal Representation and Participation, Empowerment of Women in the Community, Women on Boards, Women on Executive Committees in Multinationals, Investing in Young Women and Gender Reporting by Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed Companies.

The winners of the Company Category for Southern Africa are as follows:

Economic Empowermen : Sasol LtdEqual Representation and Participation: Pfizer Laboratories (Pty) LtdEmpowerment of Women in the Community: EOH Holdings LtdWomen on Executive Committees in Multinationals: BMW Financial ServicesWomen on Boards Listed: EOH Holdings LtdInvesting in Young Women: Cummins Africa Middle EastMainstreaming Gender and Disability: RCL Foods LtdGender Reporting of JSE-Listed Companies : Coronation Fund Managers Ltd

Adds Vuyo Lee, Director: Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the JSE: “As a key contributor to the functioning of the South African economy, at the JSE, we recognise the crucial importance of gender representation and inclusion in the drive towards an equitable and progressive South Africa.   It is for this reason that we support initiatives such as the Gender Mainstreaming Awards as they recognise and celebrate organisations and individuals who have gone beyond the call of duty in championing the advancement of women in the workplace. In leading by example,  at the JSE, we are proud to boast of 50% female representation at the Board level and 78% in Exco, with the business being a female-led powerhouse driven by a 55% female staff population. By supporting the GMAs, the JSE reaffirms our commitment to gender equality and demonstrate our collaborative efforts to fostering economic growth and prosperity for all”.

The winners in the Company Category for East Africa are as follows:

Women Empowerment in the Workplace: Lady Askari LtdEmpowerment of Women in the Community: Standard Chartered KenyaEconomic Empowerment : Bamburi Cement LtdInvesting in Young Women : Standard Chartered Kenya

“At DP World, we are focussing on driving change towards inclusion and diversity through supporting women empowerment in the workplace. We have therefore continued to partner with the Gender Mainstreaming Awards – an initiative that has shown progress towards gender inclusivity and diversity by encouraging corporates to make the meaningful representation of women a priority. We commend and celebrate all these corporates that have demonstrated their commitment toward making this positive change within their businesses and in their communities where they have operation.” - Esha Mansingh, Head of Corporate Affairs and Sustainability for sub-Saharan Africa at DP World.

Adds Vuyo Lee, Director: Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the JSE: “As a key contributor to the functioning of the South African economy, at the JSE, we recognise the crucial importance of gender representation and inclusion in the drive towards an equitable and progressive South Africa.   It is for this reason that we support initiatives such as the Gender Mainstreaming Awards as they recognise and celebrate organisations and individuals who have gone beyond the call of duty in championing the advancement of women in the workplace. In leading by example,  at the JSE, we are proud to boast of 50% female representation at the Board level and 78% in Exco, with the business being a female-led powerhouse driven by a 55% female staff population. By supporting the GMAs, the JSE reaffirms our commitment to gender equality and demonstrate our collaborative efforts to fostering economic growth and prosperity for all”.

"We believe the best way to influence change is to strengthen and grow the current conversation, then couple that with deliberate actions,” concludes Colleen Larsen, Chief Executive of Business Engage. 

NOTES TO THE EDITORS
Please contact
Colleen Larsen at Business Engage Association NPC for further media information, enquiries or interview requests.

Jonathan Mahapa at Accenture South Africa at +27 11 208 3947 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

ABOUT BUSINESS ENGAGE ASSOCIATION NPC

 Business Engage is a non-profit company established in 2005. It is an exciting and inventive organisation at the forefront of strategic thinking on gender mainstreaming in the private sector. It is a collaboration of corporates working together to create the business case for gender mainstreaming. Business Engage is the 30% Club Southern and East Africa custodian. 30% Club is an international group of Chairmen, CEOs, senior executives and senior partners of the private sector and state-owned organisations that are publicly committed to achieving and sustaining at least 30% women on boards within a designated period because they believe it is good for the overall effectiveness of the boardroom – and therefore suitable for business. Focus is also placed on pipeline development to create sustainable change. Visit us at www.businessengage.africa

ABOUT ACCENTURE

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world’s leading businesses, governments and other organizations build their digital core, optimize their operations, accelerate revenue growth and enhance citizen services—creating tangible value at speed and scale. We are a talent and innovation led company with 732,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries. Technology is at the core of change today, and we are one of the world’s leaders in helping drive that change, with strong ecosystem relationships. We combine our strength in technology with unmatched industry experience, functional expertise and global delivery capability. We are uniquely able to deliver tangible outcomes because of our broad range of services, solutions and assets across Strategy & Consulting, Technology, Operations, Industry X and Accenture Song. These capabilities, together with our culture of shared success and commitment to creating 360° value, enable us to help our clients succeed and build trusted, lasting relationships. We measure our success by the 360° value we create for our clients, each other, our shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com. 

ABOUT JSE

The Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has a well-established history of operating as a marketplace for trading financial products. It is a pioneering, globally connected exchange group that enables inclusive economic growth through trusted, world-class, socially responsible products, and services for the investor of the future. It offers secure and efficient primary and secondary capital markets across a diverse range of securities, spanning equities, derivatives, and debt markets. It prides itself on being the market of choice for local and international investors looking to gain exposure to leading capital markets on the African continent.

The JSE is currently ranked in the Top 20 largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalisation, and is the largest stock exchange in Africa, having been in operation for 135 years. As a leading global exchange, the JSE co-creates unlocks value & makes real connections happen.

www.jse.co.za  

ABOUT VODACOM

Vodacom is a leading and purpose-led African connectivity, digital and financial services company.From our roots in South Africa, we have grown our business to include operations in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (the DRC), Egypt, Mozambique, Lesotho and ,Kenya and Ethiopia. Our mobile networks cover a population of over 500 million people.Through Vodacom Business Africa (VBA), we offer business-managed services to enterprises in 48 countries. Vodacom is majority owned by Vodafone (65.1% holding), one of the world’s largest communications companies by revenue. 

ABOUT ASSUPOL

Assupol Life is a South African fully fledged life insurer which has become a household name, synonymous with high-quality service and affordable products tailored for our focused markets. With a focus on innovation, we offer a comprehensive range of affordable funeral, life, savings, investments, and retirement products to meet the needs of the South African market. With a strong emphasis on transformation, we encourage real change in the equal representation of women within the private sector. We are proud to have a workforce that is 85% African, and we actively promote the appointment of women in key positions, striving to contribute to a society that supports and empowers women. With 110 years of serving those who serve, Assupol Life remains a leader in the financial services industry and continues to uphold its legacy as a caring company since its inception. 

ABOUT RMB

Rand Merchant Bank (RMB) is a leading African corporate and investment bank (CIB) and part of the largest financial services group (by market capitalisation) in Africa – FirstRand Bank Limited (which is wholly owned by FirstRand Limited). We offer our clients innovative, value-added advisory, funding, trading, corporate banking and principal investing solutions. With a presence in 10 African countries, we have a significant footprint on the continent. We also have access to a network of retail banks, representative offices and branches across Africa, the UK, India and the US.

At RMB we are passionate about solving problems for our clients by asking the hard questions. We challenge accepted thinking. We analyse and seek solutions beyond the obvious. We are innovative in our thinking and turn challenges into opportunities. Our ability to think differently, our collaborative spirit, our client-centric solutions and our belief that great minds don’t always have to think alike, is what sets us apart.

For more information please visit: www.rmb.co.za

 

 ABOUT DP WORLD

 WE MAKE TRADE FLOW, TO CHANGE WHAT'S POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE

Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world’s trade flow better, changing what’s possible for the customers and communities we serve globally.

With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 106,500 employees spanning 73 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that’s fit for the future. We’re rapidly transforming and integrating our businesses - Ports and Terminals, Economic Zones, Marine Services, Logistics and Technology – and uniting our global infrastructure with local expertise to create stronger, more efficient end-to-end supply chain solutions that can change the way the world trades.

What's more, we're reshaping the future by investing in innovation. From intelligent delivery systems to automated warehouse stacking, we’re at the cutting edge of disruptive technology, pushing the sector towards better ways to trade, minimising disruptions from the factory floor to the customer’s door.