Local radio station Good Hope FM’s inaugural Warrior Woman Awards will be announced at a glitzy gala event at Zevenwacht Wine Estate tonight (Wednesday 23 October).
No less than three of the 36 finalists across 12 categories are from Kuils River. The awards aim to recognise and celebrate South African women from all walks of life making a positive impact and inspiring those around them.
Good Hope FM received an overwhelming response after calling on listeners to nominate dynamic women in their families, circle of friends, work environment, and communities who excel as entrepreneurs, trailblazers, pioneers, industry leaders, or unsung heroes, the station said.
A panel of judges narrowed hundreds of nominations to three finalists in each category.
Community
Latifah Jacobs from Sunbird Park is a finalist in the category Social Impact Champion.TygerBurger has on several occasions reported on Jacobs’s involvement in the community – from running a feeding scheme and supporting other soup kitchens during the pandemic to reaching out to the children of Happy Valley and Sophia Town informal settlement to starting a library in a shipping container next to her home. She is driven by a passion to uplift.
The library is a safe space where children can learn and grow but also acts as a community centre that facilitates programmes like youth development and job readiness.Jacobs, who completed matric in 2015, alongside one of her daughters, is currently in her second year studying community development at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).
She is also known as an activist for women’s rights and against gender-based violence.
Science
Dr Natasha Ross from Soneike is a finalist in the category: Innovation and Technology Pioneer. Ross is a senior lecturer in chemistry at the University of the Western Cape, leading innovations in eco-friendly energy conversion, sustainable storage systems, and nano-sensor technology. She became the first in her family to earn a doctorate (PhD).
The nomination states Ross is driven by her belief in chemistry’s power to change the world. “Her groundbreaking work in biodegradable batteries paves the way for a future less reliant on fossil fuels. Beyond the lab, she is a passionate mentor, inspiring the next generation of scientists, particularly women, to push boundaries in green technologies and address global sustainability challenges.
According to a statement from UWC, Ross’ work involves developing solar-charged batteries with applications in medicine, agriculture, and transportation.
Dr Ross is hailed as a pioneering researcher and a passionate advocate for gender equality in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) field.
“Through her visionary mentorship, she ignites a spark in young women at every stage – high school, undergraduate, and postgraduate – empowering them to pursue careers in science with confidence and courage.”
Achiever
Soprano Brittany Smith from Kuils River is a finalist for the Young Achiever Award. According to Cape Town Opera (CTO), Smith who holds a BMus in Opera from the South African College of Music (SACM) at the University of Cape Town was first introduced to opera at Rhenish Girls High School.
Her debut solo singing role was Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro in 2016, followed by Adele in AGL Opera’s production of Die Fledermaus.
Awards include the 2013 Ruth Ormond Prize for the Most Promising First Year UCT Female Opera Student, the 2016 Schock Foundation Opera Competition Female Classical Winner, and a nomination for the 2017 Fleur du Cap Award for Best Female Opera Singer for her role as Pamina in CTO’s production of The Magic Flute.
After her debut with CTO she joined the company’s Young Artist Programme in 2018 and premiered as Norina in the CTO/SACM production of Don Pasquale. In 2022 she was listed as one of Mail and Guardian’s top 200 Young South Africans. She won the Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for her role as Susanna in the 2022 production of Le nozze di Figaro. She recently starred in The Sound of Music.
