Recognising excellence in transformation: 2025 Nedbank Oliver Top Empowerment Award winners revealed

Hosted by the renowned broadcaster Leanne Manas, the evening commenced with a welcome address by Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media, who acknowledged the remarkable progress being made in economic empowerment. The event featured insights from the esteemed judging panel during a live Q&A session with Khensani Nobanda, group executive: group marketing and corporate affairs at Nedbank, and Gavin Fitzmaurice, partner at Webber Wentzel, who reflected on the calibre of this year’s entries.

Guests were further inspired by a powerful keynote from Mfundo Nkuhlu, chief operating officer of Nedbank Group, followed by an address from Minister Solly Malatsi, minister of communications and digital technologies, who spoke to the critical role of digital transformation in building an inclusive, empowered future.

Congratulations to the finalists and winners of the categories:

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: FAST GROWTH BLACK-OWNED SMME OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Bono Property Group

Finalists:

• Big Eye Minerals & Energy
  
• TCTS AUTOBODY
  
• Wallace & Green
  
• AND 310 EMS Projects (Pty) Ltd
  
• Mlambo & Associates
  
• EconoBEE
  
• Blu Water Technologies
  
• Maphikwana Group (Pty) Ltd
  
• Trade Capital Finance
  
• Vantage Advisory
  
• Tshinwelo Innovative Business Solutions
  
• Muncho
  
• Bubbly Agent
  
• Ambesha Africa
  
• Insurazo Risk Partners (Pty) Limited

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: PUBLIC SECTOR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Finalists:

• Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS)
  
• Ethekwini Municipality
  
• Breede Valley Local Municipality
  
• Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: ENTERPRISE AND SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD, Sponsored by Nedbank

Winner: Mondi Zimele (Pty) Ltd

Finalists:

• City Lodge Hotels Ltd
  
• Isanti Glass
  
• Liquid Intelligent Technologies
  
• Icebolethu Group

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN THE WORKPLACE OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Schneider Electric

Finalists:

• Siyanqoba Ngamandla Holdings
  
• HG Travelling Services
  
• Nexia SAB&T
  
• Shared Value Africa (SVA) & Shift Impact Africa
  
• Pamodzi Unique Engineering
  
• VEA Road Maintenance
  
• RCPM Industries
  
• Ethekwini Municipality
  
• Sanofi
  
• Y-Brand

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Nestlé ESAR
Highly Commended: Isanti Glass

Finalists:

• Schneider Electric
  
• Tyrec (Pty) Ltd
  
• Merchants
  
• Gordon Carbon Solutions

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: YOUTH DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD, Sponsored by Nedbank

Winner: Sanlam Life

Finalists:

• Provest Cementitious Products (Pty) Ltd
  
• Nexia SAB&T
  
• RedM Professional Services (Pty) Ltd
  
• City Lodge Hotels Ltd
  
• Geeks4Learning (PTY) Ltd
  
• Merchants
  
• HomeComing Events
  
• Pamodzi Unique Engineering
  
• Youth Bridge Trust
  
• MBVIT
  
• Schneider Electric
  
• Liquid Intelligent Technologies

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Vaxowave

Finalists:

• Old Mutual
  
• Tshinwelo Innovative Business Solutions
  
• Konica Minolta South Africa
  
• South African Revenue Service (SARS)
  
• Boxfusion
  
• Limitles Engineer, trading as BUY BRICS+

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Sasol Limited

Finalists:

• SLG (Pty) Ltd
  
• Mondi Zimele (Pty) Ltd
  
• Nexia SAB&T
  
• Ntiyiso Consulting Group
  
• Isanti Glass
  
• Oceana Group Limited
  
• Liquid Intelligent Technologies
  
• AECI

TOP EMPOWERED: LIFETIME ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR AWARD

• Honourable Minister Enoch Godongwana - Minister of Finance for South Africa

Municipal Women Leadership Excellence Award, Sponsored by SALGA

• Cllr. Queen Xulu - uMlalazi Municipality
  
• Cllr. Mamedupe Teffo - Capricorn District Municipality
  
• Cllr. Nondumiso Buda - Frances Baard Municipality
  
• Cllr. Nomvuyo Patricia Mposelwa - Joe Gqabi District Municipality
  
• Cllr. Tunyiswa Manxila-Nkamisa - Mnquma Municipality
  
• Cllr. Zukiswa Ndevu - uMzimvubu Municipality
  
• Ald. (Dr.) Elna von Schlicht - Cape Winelands Municipality
  
• Ald. Antoinette Steyn - Breede Valley Municipality
  
• Ald. Jacqulique von Brandis - George Municipality

Nedbank Oliver Top Empowerment Legends 2025

• bp Southern Africa
  
• Foursight IT
  
• FoodBev Manufacturing SETA
  
• Methano Group
  
• National Housing Finance Corporation

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: JOB CREATION OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Geeks4Learning (Pty) Ltd

Finalists:

• TotalServe Group (Property and Facilities Management)
  
• Siyanqoba Ngamandla Holdings
  
• AND 310 EMS Projects (Pty) Ltd
  
• Afrizan People Intelligence (Pty) Ltd
  
• Trade Capital Finance
  
• City Lodge Hotels Ltd
  
• Merchants
  
• Royal Mndawe Holdings (Pty) Ltd T/A ROMH Consulting
  
• HomeComing Events
  
• Bubbly Agent
  
• MBVIT
  
• Y-Brand

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Mondi Zimele (Pty) Ltd

Finalists:

• Nestlé ESAR
  
• Provest Cementitious Products (Pty) Ltd
  
• Sasol Limited
  
• Sanlam Life
  
• Reverside Software Solutions Pty Ltd
  
• Merchants
  
• Dentsu
  
• Royal Mndawe Holdings (Pty) Ltd T/A ROMH Consulting
  
• Konica Minolta South Africa

TOP EMPOWERED: PUBLIC SECTOR LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Edward Kieswetter - South African Revenue Service (SARS)

Finalists:

• Kedibone Phetla - Community Schemes Ombud Service (CSOS)
  
• Musa Mbhele - Ethekwini Municipality
  
• Raymond Esau - Breede Valley Local Municipality
  
• Thato Ramaili - Property Practitioners Regulatory Authority

RICHARD FLETCHER ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Patricia Tshitema - Bono Property Group

Finalists:

• Trinisha Govender - TCTS AUTOBODY
  
• Kushela Naidoo - Wallace & Green
  
• Nqobile Valentia Mkhabela - Siyanqoba Ngamandla Holdings
  
• Ntombi Mlambo - Mlambo & Associates
  
• Allan Maphanga - EconoBEE
  
• Hulisani Khorommbi - Blu Water Technologies
  
• Joe Asamoah - Trade Capital Finance
  
• Luncedo Mtwentwe - Vantage Advisory
  
• Phathutshedzo Madima - Tshinwelo Innovative Business Solutions
  
• Uthman Omarjee - Muncho
  
• Trudy Mkansi - Ambesha Africa
  
• Kabelo Ncholo - Y-Brand

TOP EMPOWERED: YOUNG ACHIEVER OF THE YEAR AWARD (UNDER 40)

Winner: Beverley Siwisa - Afrizan People Intelligence (Pty) Ltd

Finalists:

• Kume Luvhani - Vaxowave
  
• Ntombi Mlambo - Mlambo & Associates
  
• Luncedo Mtwentwe - Vantage Advisory
  
• Cressundra Alves - Reverside Software Solutions Pty Ltd
  
• Dimakatso Masiteng - NYDA

TOP EMPOWERED: BUSINESS LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Winner: Sindisiwe Dlamini - Pamodzi Unique Engineering

Finalists:

• Nelly Ndlovu - Mondi Zimele (Pty) Ltd
  
• Funani Mojono - Provest Cementitious Products (Pty) Ltd
  
• Pieter du Plessis - Isanti Glass
  
• Roxana Ravjee - Dentsu
  
• Katlego Malatji - HomeComing Events
  
• Thandeka Mngomezulu - TotalServe Group (Property and Facilities Management)
  
• Prakshna Velter - The Gordon Group - Migraine Wellness Clinic
  
• Thoko Tshabalala - VEA Road Maintenance
  
• Alex Mabunda - Ntiyiso Consulting Group
  
• Ayisha Zange - Nexia SAB&T
  
• Dr Nomfundo Mcoyi - Icebolethu Group

TOP EMPOWERED COMPANY: BUSINESS OF THE YEAR AWARD, Sponsored by Nedbank

Winner: Oceana Group Limited

Highly Commended: Isanti Glass

• SLG (Pty) Ltd
  
• Ntiyiso Consulting Group
  
• Sanlam Life
  
• ICT-Works (Pty) Ltd
  
• Mashudu Tinyiko Consulting

The 2025 Nedbank Oliver Top Empowerment Awards not only recognised excellence but reignited the national conversation around transformation, equity, and sustainable development. As the winners and finalists take their well-deserved place among South Africa’s top empowered leaders, this year’s event stands as a bold reminder that meaningful change is not only possible - it is already in motion.

A heartfelt thank you to our valued sponsors whose support made this celebration of empowerment possible: Nedbank, our Platinum Sponsor; SALGA, also proudly supporting our Category Awards; and our esteemed Lifestyle Sponsors - L’Oréal, Jenna Clifford, and Coca-Cola Beverages South Africa - for adding their unique touch to the evening.

Congratulations to all the finalists and winners who continue to inspire, innovate, and lead the way forward.