Celebrating South African Women in Sports
By Kagiso Bonoko
Brand South Africa partnered with the Momentum gsport Awards to celebrate the prestigious achievements of women in sports. This is a pinnacle event on South Africa’s sporting calendar, dedicated to honouring, recognising, and elevating the profile of women in sports. The on-going partnership highlights Brand South Africa’s commitment to amplifying the message of inclusivity and diversity in sports.
The Momentum gsport Awards takes pride as Africa’s longest-running women’s sport recognition platform, and its 19th hosting marks its enduring dedication to women’s sport. The platform unearths new icons and recognises role models who are relentlessly breaking barriers, both on and off the field.
This year’s Awards ceremony was hosted at Johannesburg’s prestigious Wanderers Club. The Awards have grown over the years, with prize money introduced in 2019 at the 14th edition, allowing winners to invest in their careers.
Since its inception, over 240 recipients have been honoured, swimming legend Penny Heyns inspiring the launch of the initiative. Heyns is a double gold medallist at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and was inducted into the gsport Hall of Fame on 1 August 2006, setting forth a journey of recognition for women in sports that has changed lives and elevated careers.
Following in Heyns’ footsteps, a two-time Olympic champion, and the most decorated South African Olympian in history, Tatjana Smith made history on the night of extraordinary celebration as she was named the Momentum Athlete of the Year.
Smith, who became the first South African woman to win a World Title in the 200m breaststroke, claimed the top honour after a stellar season that also saw her win silver in the 100m and secure the South African title.
“I’m very grateful and fortunate to have won this award tonight, it really takes me back to the first award that I won in 2018, my first ever award, and it was through gsport4girls. I think I’m retiring, but that’s only the beginning, because when one season ends, another one begins. This journey has built and grown me into the person I am today, and it is now time to hand over the baton, but also be there for the younger ones that need assistance to walk the journey with them,” said Smith after receiving her award.
The Deputy Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Ms. Peace Mabe, presented five Ministerial Recognition of Excellence Awards to top achievers across multiple sports. The Department has been backing this recognition platform since the eighth year of the Awards and honoured the five winners on the night.
Brand South Africa once again sponsored the Para Sports Star of the Year category, which was proudly taken by Kgothatso Montjane. “As Brand South Africa, we continue to celebrate women in sports; it is befitting that we also support them as the country observes 30 years of democracy, highlighting that gsport4girls has been spearheading the success of women and contributing positively to the country’s sporting codes,” said Jabu Madonsela, acting Marketing Manager: Brand South Africa.
About Brand South Africa
Brand South Africa is the official marketing agency of South Africa, with a mandate to build the country’s brand reputation, to improve its global competitiveness. Brand South Africa’s primary focus is to develop and implement proactive, coordinated marketing and communications reputation management strategies for South Africa. Our main objective is to market South Africa to both domestic and international audiences, positioning South Africa as a competitive investment destination, and inspiring and instilling active citizenship amongst South Africans.
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