- GoodHope FM honoured 12 South African women for their contributions to society in the inaugural Warrior Woman Awards.
- The winners, recognised across categories from social impact to lifetime achievement, are celebrated for their positive impact on communities.
- These women’s inspiring stories of leadership and dedication highlight the importance of supporting female role models.
The winners of the inaugural GoodHope FM Warrior Woman Awards were recently announced, with 12 local women honoured for their various contributions to South African society.
The awards aim to celebrate South African women from all walks of life who have achieved greatness through making a positive impact and inspiring people around them.
The station called for nominations at the beginning of September and was overwhelmed by hundreds of women being nominated for the various categories.
After a meticulous selection process, three finalists were announced per category, followed by a week of public voting, where thousands of votes were cast, and ultimately internal judges’ selection of the winners.
The winners are:
- Social Impact Champion: Lucinda Evans, from Lavender Hill
- Innovation and Technology Pioneer: Dr. Natasha Ross from Soneike, Kuils River
- Excellence In Entrepreneurship: Merecia Smith from Idas Valley, Stellenbosch
- Women in Business: Dr. Shirley Zinn rom Fish Hoek
- Community SHERO: Janine Fabe from Mitchell’s Plain
- Visionary Leader: Zeenat Isaacs, Mitchell’s Plain
- Empowerment Advocate: Naz Fredericks-Maharaj from the northern suburbs
- Excellence in Arts: Kiara Ramklass from Claremont
- Trailblazer of the Year: Mishquah Achmat from Wetton
- Young Achiever: Brittany Smith from Kuils River
- Sport Achievement: Elvina ‘Vee’ da Silva from Lansdowne
- Lifetime Achievement: Janine Myburgh from Parow
Outstanding contributions
Category 5, the Community SHERO Award sought to award someone making outstanding contributions in her community. A community hero demonstrating how passion and determination can make a difference in her community. A woman who demonstrates an exemplary level of leadership and community engagement to positively impact the quality of life of people. A woman with formal and informal roles, including appointed, elected, or volunteer positions within a community.
Janine Fabe worked in the corporate space for 20 years and is now living her passion by working and caring for babies who are in need of care and protection under her NPO, Hannah’s Place of Safety. Her aim is that the babies are restored and healed before they move onto their next phase, which is either reunification to biological family or foster care or adoption (should that option be available for the baby). The NPO ensures that the babies have proper medical care, occupational therapy and water therapy. Holistic care is very important for Janine and her team, and they care for each one of them as if they were their own.
Zeenat Isaacs
Category 6, the Visionary Leader Award aimed to give recognition to a woman who has demonstrated exceptional vision, leadership, and innovation in her industry, inspiring others to follow her lead.
Zeenat is a multidisciplinary artist, community transformer, who runs free accredited education and skills, arts training to those in need.
She is a project and production manager, delivering masterclasses across various art forms. Through her organisation, Sm-art Supporting Mentorship Through Art, she assists those from under resourced, marginalised areas to study abroad and get first-time work experience. She runs many after-school programmes, various upliftment campaigns as well as empowerment sessions and workshops in many informal settlements and impoverished communities in Cape Town. Zeenat teaches the unemployed how to set up and run businesses to generate income. She also plays a vital role in making sure that primary needs of the less advantaged are provided for.
“This Visionary Leader Award means so much to me because I’ve worked hard since I was 15 years old trying to bring my vision into this world. It amplifies my and my team’s values in my actions and leadership. It demonstrates my commitment to a better South Africa and world; it highlights my compassion and service to communities in need, and courage to make challenging decisions needed to better futures, lives, communities and spaces,” she says.
“I’m humbled by this award because it shows my ability to manifest a reality that today does not exist and my ability to provide a better future for those I serve which is now nearing my goal of 100 000 people.”
Zeenat continues that these awards are giving women a platform to shine.
“It’s important to celebrate successes of our women because we give permission for other women to step into the spotlight and do the same.
When recognition for our hard work is given it motivates us to do so much more and keep on pushing even harder, but most importantly, we pave the path for future leaders and inspire others to do the same.”
