Entries open for 2023 Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism

Entries for the 2023 Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism opened today. This year marks the 49th edition of the annual awards, and for the first time in the history of the competition, journalists throughout Africa can submit their entries in any category.

Entries close on 29 February 2024

Co-sponsored for the second year by Santam, South Africa’s largest short-term insurer, the awards continue to recognise the best of financial journalism in South Africa since 1974 and since 2013 for the whole of Africa.

The awards cover financial journalism across print, radio, television, and online platforms. The competition is open to African journalists based in Africa, working for an African news organisation, and publishing or broadcasting their work on the continent.

Essential information about the awards includes:
• Entries must have been published or broadcast between 1 January and 31 December 2023;
• The landing page for the awards section on the Sanlam website is at this link;
• Entries must be submitted using the online entry form at this link; and
• Submissions must contain three pieces of published work.

The nine categories of the awards are:
• Business and Companies;
• Economy;
• Financial Markets;
• Consumer Financial Education;
• The African Growth Story;
• ESG: Business and the Environment;
• ESG: Business and Society;
• Broadcast: Radio / Audio / Podcasting; and
• Broadcast: Television / Video.

An entry cannot be entered more than once in any category.

Karl Socikwa, Sanlam Group Executive: Market Development and Sustainability said: “We are delighted to open all categories for financial journalists from outside South Africa. This is a significant milestone in the evolution of the awards and reinforces the competition’s pan-African outlook. Participation in the awards from journalists across Africa has grown steadily over the past decade through African Growth
Story category. Opening entries to financial journalists across Africa, is a significant development that reflects the continuing development of financial journalism in Africa at a time when credible and authoritative reporting is more important than ever.”

Gugu Mtetwa, Santam Group Chief Operating Officer said: “The Sanlam Group financial journalism awards are an important platform that not only acknowledges the best financial journalism on the African continent but are a critical lever for supporting our continent’s progress through objective conversations in the media about business and foster the need for development that positively impacts communities across many countries”.

The independent judging panel comprises Nixon Kariithi (Chair of the panel); Charles Naude (Retired business editor); Ulrich Joubert (Retired independent economist); Ylva-Rodny Gumede (Media studies and international relations academic); Musa Zondi (communications consultant); Angela Agoawike (Communications consultant based in Nigeria); Tom Indimuli (Media consultant based in Kenya) and Emily May Brown (Media studies lecturer based in Namibia).