The Future of Leadership Awards

As 2023 is drawing to a close, let us take a moment to remember the leaders who were honored at the 2023 Future of Leadership Awards for making a difference in their community, their industry and the world at large.

The Criteria for Nominations

To keep the nomination and selection process as equitable and transparent as possible, all members of The Future Leader Forum (250+ by now, over the 6 Interview Seasons from 2017 to date) were invited to nominate up to three future-minded leaders. 

These were the Criteria for Nominations to the 2023 Future of Leadership Awards (plus a written motivation, all submitted online). 

• Have demonstrated a Willingness to share their Insights with the Next Generation;

• Have achieved significant Accomplishments in their Leadership Category;

• Have become Role-models to guide the Next Generation of Future Leaders. 

The Nomination & Voting Process

These were the steps and dates for casting nominations and votes: 

1. Nominations opened on Monday 18th September and closed Sunday 1st October 2023. All leaders nominated were put forward to a vote by the Future Leader Forum members. 

2. The adjudication panel of esteemed South African Leaders oversaw the process and audit the voting process. 

3. Voting started on Monday 2nd October 2023 and closed on Friday 13th October.

4. The Winners were notified by Friday 20th October and the names published on The Future Leader Forum by Sunday 22nd October 2023. 

5. The Awards Ceremony took place during the Gala Dinner of the Future of Leadership Summit on 24 October 2023.  

The Awards Ceremony

Following the highly acclaimed Leadership Q&A Session with Rugby World Cup Champion Ashwin Willemse, and introduced by the award winning radio & TV personality Relebogile Mabotja, the 2023 Future of Leadership Awards were held in front of 150 prominent leaders, both from the public and private sector.

And the Winners are...

• Ahmed Ismael - Smiley (Founder Siyafunda Community Technology Centre) - Voted Community Leader of the Year

• Prudence Mathebula (Managing Director Dynamic DNA) - Voted Business Leader of the Year 

• Dumi Senda (Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Expert) - Voted Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion

• Margaret Hirsch ( (Cofounder & COO at Hirsch's) - Voted Entrepreneurial Leader of the Year

• Bernice Samuels (MTN Group Executive: Marketing) - Voted Marketing Leader of the Year

• Sean Naidoo (Executive Head: Enablement and Change - Insurance at Absa Group) - Voted Financial Inclusion Leader

• Warren Hero (CTO Webber Wentzel) - Voted Innovation Leader

• Dr Sheena Geness (Medical Doctor, Founder Geness Foundation, Winner Loréal Paris Woman of Worth, Visionary Woman of Wonder) - Voted Philanthropic Leader

• Gugulethu Ndebele (Executive Director at Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) - Voted for Lifetime Leadership Award

• Nollie Maoto (Chief Data and Analytics Officer FNB South Africa) - Voted Inspirational Leader of the Year

• Dr Kershen Pillay (CEO of Graduate Institute of Financial Sciences (GIFS) - Voted Future of Work Visionary

• Zunaid Vanker (Chief Information Security Officer Standard Bank) - Voted Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Leader

• Selby Gumede (Wear Your Brand Foundation President) - Voted Social Impact Leader

• December Joseph Ndhlovu (Regenerative farmer) - Voted for Environmental Sustainability Leader