Achiever Awards humbling and empowering, say past winners

Awards come in all shapes and sizes, but when an award comes from your own community and recognises your contribution to it and South Africa in general, it strikes a chord.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards. For a quarter of a century, these award ceremonies honoured the remarkable people in our community and have helped elevate their lives and careers.

“I was, of course, humbled to receive the award,” said Judge David Unterhalter, the 2018 winner of the Absa Professional Excellence Award. “Recognition by your community is a special validation. But most important of all was to witness how many individuals in our community do such important work that registers for the good in so many ways.”

Fundraising maestro for the King David Schools Foundation, Raelene Tradonsky, who won last year’s Mann Made Community Service Award said, “In the world of philanthropy and fundraising – particularly international fundraising – the award holds a lot of credibility. I’ve come to see that first-hand.”

In 2014, the Creative Counsel Young Jewish Entrepreneurs Award winner was Nadav Ossendryver, who was still in high school at the time. “Winning the inaugural Rising Star Award remains one of the most memorable moments of my life,” said Ossendryver. “It was such an honour to be acknowledged by my community, and it gave me a sense of validation that I was on the right path.” He was awarded for Latest Sightings, his national platform for sharing game sightings, which now has 5.5 million subscribers on YouTube.

“The award not only boosted my confidence, but also provided great exposure for my work among the Jewish community,” Ossendryver said. “I hope that many other young entrepreneurs in our community see the significance of the recognition in the Absa Jewish Achiever Awards, and get motivated to build up their businesses.”

The Young Entrepreneurs Award was a precursor to the new Ichikowitz Family Foundation Rising Star Award, which honours those under 25 who have achieved extraordinarily in many different spheres, including business. The first winner of this award last year was young cricketer David Teeger. This is the only award specifically given to youthful candidates.

The winner of the Absa Business Award in 2018 was advertising executive Mike Abel, who said, “What made it more special was the calibre of the judges, their questions, and the evaluation itself went way beyond business success to evaluating contribution and social impact within the community and broader South Africa. I’m most passionate about this.”

Abel, who is executive chairperson and founder of the M&C Saatchi group of companies and M&C Saatchi Abel, said, “I’ve always looked at past winners and my fellow winners on the night with respect, and in certain cases awe, so I was truly humbled to be included in such a distinguished group.”

Gia Whitehead, the joint winner of the 2023 Europcar Women in Leadership Award, said that almost a year later, she was still beaming from her award.

“It was a deeply moving experience, not just for me personally, but for the entire TSIBA Business School community,” said Whitehead. Whitehead won the award for the business school, which offers disadvantaged young South Africans a top education, giving them a lift out of poverty into becoming potential business leaders.

“It was a beautiful acknowledgment of the work we have been doing for more than two decades to shift the future trajectory of our students and, by extension, our country. It also gave me the opportunity to meet the powerful panel of judges individually and build on these important relationships for TSIBA,” said Whitehead.

On Sunday, 17 November, the winners of the 25th Absa Jewish Achiever Awards will be announced at a glittering banquet award ceremony. Book your seats or table at bit.ly/jaabook.

You’ll also be able to vote for the finalists you believe should win awards in our online voting which opens on Thursday, 19 September.