The awards saw over 200 nominations being submitted and after the strict vetting process, 87 nominees were announced.

The awards place a large focus on empowering and celebrating women's achievements and find that it is pivotal in fostering a more equitable and prosperous society. The Woman of Stature Awards™ stand as a testament to the strength, resilience and contributions of women across South Africa and globally.

The purpose of the awards is to accelerate the careers and businesses of women and although many are already prominent players in their respective communities, they have not necessarily fully developed or reached the peak of their success.

This award:

  • provides many opportunities
  • gives them access to various platforms
  • helps them to develop their skills and talents
  • climb the ladder of success, and
  • get further faster, which they may find difficult to do on their own.

Vlok's achievements and impactful societal contributions — spanning numerous years — stood out as she was recognised for being a worthy recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for Community Service.

The awards took place at a gala dinner on Saturday, 13 April and celebrated women in different categories, which included: 

  • CEO of the Year
  • Entrepreneur of the Year
  • Woman in Arts and Culture
  • Woman in Beauty and Fashion
  • Woman in Coaching and Mentoring
  • Woman in Community
  • Woman in Education and Training
  • Woman in Engineering and Mining
  • Woman in Financial Services
  • Woman in Health and Wellness
  • Woman in Media, and
  • Woman in Technology.

"What an honour it is to be recognised for this project and the love, dedication and hard work that has been going into this project for more than 20 years. I love what I do and I love our Mama Afrikas and the passion they show for their centres and their communities," says professor Elain Vlok, Clover's manager for the Clover Mama Afrika Trust.

"Without them and the work that they do, we would not have our project. I am excited about the future and all the opportunities that await us and the new Mama Afrikas we are yet to discover," Vlok concludes.

Clover Mama Afrika is a sustainable Corporate Social Investment project that has been in existence since 2001, seeing the project host 440 training sessions with over 2 313 beneficiaries over the years. 

For more information, visit www.clovermamaafrika.com. You can also follow Clover Mama Afrika on Facebook or on X.

*Image courtesy of contributor