In a celebration of commitment to championing sustainability, the South African Breweries (SAB), in partnership with ESG Africa Events, hosted the inaugural Beyond Awards in Johannesburg. This sustainability platform shines a spotlight on African organisations and individuals who have made a noteworthy impact through their sustainability initiatives.
The Beyond Awards, attended by Minister of Small Business Development (DSBD), Minister Stella Abrahams-Ndabeni; the Acting Director General of DSBDMs Thulisile Manzini, industry leaders, experts and pioneers in the African sustainability fraternity, recognized organisations, and individuals across 4 categories including Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Champion, Sustainability Report Of The Year, Sustainability Project Of The Year & African Trailblazer.
In her opening address, SAB Director of ESG, Barbara Copelovici said, “We should all strive to make a positive and lasting impact in our communities, advancing initiatives in areas such as sustainability, safety, responsibility, recycling, and more. We can always go beyond, and that’s what we’re here to celebrate.”
The sustainability awards seek to shed light on the outstanding sustainability initiatives taking place in Africa, highlighting the dedication of organisations and individuals to address critical issues. Furthermore, this award ceremony aspires to position sustainability at the forefront of Africa’s corporate landscape, sharing global best practices in areas such as returnable packaging, entrepreneurship, water stewardship, and the institutionalization of sustainability for sustainable economic growth.
Minister Abrahams-Ndabeni, in acknowledging the significant impact of these awards, stated, “We know that environmental, social, and governance (what we call ESG) is increasingly becoming an important criterion for shareholder investment. This is good – it will quicken our efforts to build a more dynamic and socially relevant private sector. This is critical to resetting South Africa on a higher and more equal growth trajectory. It is not only the private sector that needs a reset, we as the public sector, also need to change track as a matter of urgency.”
“I believe that there are many areas where we could work together and partner, that would improve the impact of your ESG practices, make your shareholders happier, and at the same time help us as Government to achieve our 2030 targets.” She adds
Winners and finalists for each category were as follows:
Sustainable Development Goals Champion Award
This prestigious award recognizes the organization with the most comprehensive and impactful overall contribution towards the attainment of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Winner: Woolworths Holdings Limited.
Finalists: Shoprite Checkers, Re-Purpose, Woolworths (Pty)Limited, Impact Catalyst, and AECI.
Sustainability Report Of The Year Award
This award celebrates the most comprehensive, relevant, and engaging sustainability report.
Winner: Sun International.
Finalists: Woolworths (Pty) Limited, Sun International, AECI, Sanlam Life Limited, and Oceana Group.
Sustainability Project Of The Year Award
This award recognises an initiative in the sustainability area which has had outstanding impact in the African continent and is scalable and sustainable.
Winner: Tweak Carbon
Finalists: eThekwini Municipality, WaterCAN, Tweak Carbon, Woolworths (Pty) Limited, and AECI.
African Trailblazer Award
This special recognition goes to remarkable individuals who have significantly contributed to advancing sustainability in Africa. These individuals may come from various fields, including business leaders, media personalities, civil society activists, or government officials, and they have all left a lasting footprint in the realm of sustainability.
Winner: Dr. Jaisheila Rajput.
Finalists: Murendeni Mafumo, Willem Wegelin, Dr. Jaisheila Rajput, Thapelo Phiri, and Kavita Pema.
Following the awards ceremony, Copelovici said “Congratulations must go to all finalists and winners. We hope the Beyond Awards will only strengthen the impact already being experienced. Next year, we look forward to seeing how more entrants take sustainability beyond what we thought was possible.”
For more information on the Beyond Awards visit www.sab.co.za
About the Beyond Awards
These awards aim to provide clear insights into African sustainability initiatives, demonstrating broad-wide company commitments to addressing the issues that matter most, and fostering meaningful change on our continent.
The awards ceremony further aims to anchor sustainability in South Africa as well as to provide a platform to share global best practices on various types of sustainability initiatives. The acceleration of the sustainability agenda is one that African countries are becoming passionate about hence why SAB believes this awards ceremony is crucial as it presents us with an opportunity to showcase leaders and changemakers in the field.
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