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The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWASA) today chose their panel of judges for the Businesswoman of the Year Awards 2014 (BWOYA). The judges that have been selected come with vast experience and are most certainly the cream of the crop.
 
“We selected judges who have excelled and distinguished themselves in their areas of expertise, these women demonstrate strong leadership principals,” Ms Liepollo Lebohang Pheko, president of BWASA. “Furthermore, they certainly understand the ethos against which the BWOYA exists.”
 
The corporate category will be audited by Ms Anabel Vieira, a partner at Grant Thornton Pretoria and member of various boards and audit committees. Ms Vieira has been involved in overseeing the judging process in electing the Businesswoman of the Year for a number of years.
 
This category will be judged by,
 
·         Brenda Kali, director and co-founder of the centre for executive renewal, one of South Africa’s Reputational Turnaround and Communication Strategists. Ms Kali has an extensive 30-year career span.
 
·         Cristina Teixeira, the 2013 Corporate Category winner. Ms Teixeira is currently the Chief Financial Officer of Group Five Limited and is the youngest woman executive director within the engineering and construction sector listed companies.
 
·         Dawn Mokhobo, one of South Africa’s leading business women, with a successful and pioneering career spanning the public, private and parastatal sectors. Ms Mokhobo won the prestigious Businesswoman of the Year Award in 1993, and was honoured to serve as one of the Independent Electoral Commissioners (IEC) who ran South Africa’s first democratic elections.  She is currently chairman of Wesizwe Platinum Pty (Ltd) and serves on the boards of Sabvest Pty (Ltd), the Altron Group, Engen Limited, Gidani Pty (Ltd) and Cricket South Africa, to name a few.
 
·         Johanna Mukoki, an accountant and B.Comm graduate. She is the co-founder of Travel with Flair, a company that employs over 550 staff countrywide. Ms Mukoki was the first person from the African continent to sit on the Global Tourism Board, where she represents the Middle East and Africa. She has also received the Most Influential Woman in Business and Government in Tourism and the Ernest & Young Emerging World Entrepreneur of the Year business accolades.
 
·         Prof. Shirley Zinn, owner of consulting company Shirley Zinn Consulting that provides consulting and advisory services in HR, Transformation, Leadership and Education. She is also currently the non-executive director on the boards of AdvTech, DHL, DHL foundation, Tuesday Consulting, Boston Consulting Group, Nedbank Eyethu Community Trustee, The Orbis Foundation and the Chair of Starfish Greathearts Foundation.

The Board of the BWA notes with regret that the second category for recognition of women entrepreneurs did not have any qualifying nominees. “It is unfortunate that this year our entrants for the entrepreneur category did not meet our criteria,” continues Ms Pheko. “As we celebrate 20 years of democracy, this highlights that there is still much to be done to support women owned business. The Businesswomen’s Association of South African supports this cause.”
 
The government category, will be audited by Ms Ntokozo Mojapelo who has vast experience in auditing across a range of industries, as well as Ms Philippa Symington, an audit partner at Grant Thornton Pretoria and an HR partner for over 5 years.
 
This category will be judged by,
·         Ntombekhaya Qamata, previously worked as an Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Safety and Security Sectorial Education and Training Authority (SASSETA) for more than a year.   She is currently the senior manager: Centre of Excellence for the Road Accident Fund charged with the responsibility of researching and benchmarking Human Capital Best Practices for the Road Accident Fund in order to shape the processes and systems of the Fund to support Excellence.
 
·         Nana Magomola, executive director of SARGF. She is the former director general of the North West Provincial Government in the Office of the Premier.  Ms Magomola is a lawyer and a leading business woman with extensive corporate and legal experience.
 
·         Paula Fray, managing director for Frayintermedia, a pan-African communications company. Ms Fray is an award-winning journalist and is a trustee of Brand SA and Media Monitoring Africa.  She has wide-ranging consultancy and project management experience and has served as a mentor for organisations such as Health–e and the Media Development and Diversity Agency.
 
·         Dr. Thandi Ndlovu, the 2013 Entrepreneurial Category winner, who is the founder and Executive Chairman of Motheo Construction, one of South Africa’s largest black female-owned construction companies.

The Businesswoman of the Year Awards aims to honour prestigious business women who are prosperous in business and through the qualified judges that will be judging, these awards will continue to do just that.