News

The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) (www.AWIEForum.org) is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2025 edition of the prestigious AWIEF Awards.

As an award-winning pan-African women's economic empowerment organisation, AWIEF is committed to closing the gender gap by promoting and supporting women's entrepreneurship and leadership in business across Africa.

The AWIEF Awards recognise, honour, and celebrate outstanding women entrepreneurs and founders for their achievements and contributions to the continent's inclusive economic growth and sustainable development.

Nominees should be established women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated exceptional vision, leadership, innovation, and business success within their industries and sectors.

The winners of the 2025 AWIEF Awards will be announced and celebrated at a high-profile awards ceremony and gala dinner on 31 October 2025, as the grand finale of the AWIEF2025 Conference, taking place from 30 to 31 October 2025 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), Cape Town, South Africa.

Entries are now open in the following eight (8) categories:

• Young Entrepreneur Award
• Tech Entrepreneur Award
• Agri Entrepreneur Award
• Creative Industry Award
• Empowerment Award
• Energy Entrepreneur Award
• Social Entrepreneur Award
• Lifetime Achievement Award

These awards spotlight women in Africa who are breaking barriers, building successful businesses, and transforming communities through innovative, sustainable, and impactful initiatives and solutions.

“The AWIEF Awards are not just about recognition – they are about empowering and amplifying the voices of women who are boldly shaping the future of Africa,” said Irene Ochem, Founder and CEO of AWIEF.

Eligibility

Nominees must be Africa-based women entrepreneurs, founders, or business leaders who have made significant contributions to economic growth and development.

Nomination Deadline

17 July 2025 at 11:59 CAT

How to Nominate

You can either self-nominate or nominate someone else you know.

1. Visit the nomination page at: https://apo-opa.co/3Ht64zt
2. Click on “Submit an entry”
3. Register and create a profile
4. Complete the nomination form (you may save and return to it at any time)
5. Submit the final entry before the deadline

All entries will be reviewed and judged by an international panel of esteemed judges.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF).

For further enquiries, please contact:
awards@awieforum.org
www.AWIEForum.org

Download logo

The Select Committee on Public Infrastructure and the Ministries in the Presidency received a briefing from the Auditor-General (AG) of South Africa on the audit outcomes for the Department of Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), Brand SA and Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

The committee expressed serious concerns about the mixed performance of these critical government institutions that report to the department.

Committee Chairperson Mr Rikus Badenhorst noted that while Brand SA maintained its clean audit status, the regression in the DPME's audit outcome from clean to unqualified with findings, as well as the persistent material findings at Stats SA, point to systemic weaknesses in expenditure management, internal controls and consequence management across the portfolio.

"What emerges most clearly from the Auditor-General's presentation is a culture of stagnation. Recommendations are noted but not acted upon, plans are drafted but not internalised, and repeat findings accumulate without resolution. We cannot allow inaction to become institutionalised," said Mr Badenhorst.

The committee was particularly concerned about the significant backlog of unresolved irregular and fruitless expenditure cases at Stats SA, some dating back over a decade. Members of the committee argued that the vacancies in key positions, including the CFO role which has been vacant for eight years, have severely weakened the control environment and accountability mechanisms at the entity.

The committee said the credibility of the data and statistics produced by Stats SA is critical for effective government planning and service delivery. The persistence of these governance and financial management failures is deeply troubling and requires urgent intervention.

The committee welcomed the Auditor General's recommendations for the accounting officers, including:
- Ensuring vacant positions are timeously filled to maintain effective internal controls
- Enhancing reviews of performance planning and reporting processes
- Swiftly resolving all cases of irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure
- Monitoring the implementation of action plans with a focus on daily controls and reconciliations

Members emphasised the need for the executive authority and accounting officers to be held accountable for addressing these persistent weaknesses.

The committee committed to regularly engage the DPME, Brand SA and Stats SA to monitor progress on implementing the AG's recommendations and achieving tangible improvements in audit outcomes, performance and accountability.

“This report must be our guide when we engage these departments during the upcoming budget process. We cannot allow inaction to become institutionalised. The people of South Africa deserve efficient, transparent and accountable public institutions that deliver on their developmental mandate,” concluded Mr Badenhorst.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.

Download logo

The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs yesterday made concrete decisions on various contentious issues within the Immigration Amendment Bill, including the acceptable location to codify the interest of justice criterion of the Bill. This brings the Bill closer to completion to bring it in line with Constitutional Court judgements.

The committee has resolved that the interest of justice criterion that guides immigration officials in making detention decisions for undocumented immigrants will now be codified in the Bill's regulations. Despite various views on the matter, the decision was premised on the view that the department's standard operating procedure are inaccessible to the public and can be amended without stakeholder interaction. Also, the committee was of the view that codifying it in the regulations would enable oversight accountability by Parliament.

Meanwhile, the committee has resolved that the Bill directly and adequately addresses the unconstitutional provisions identified by the Constitutional Court and, at this juncture, will be ideal to remedy those defects. As a result, the committee has decided that some of the recommendations identified by the stakeholders during the public participation process, including the protection of the rights of immigrant children, should be deferred to the ongoing process to review of the White Paper on Citizenship, Immigration and Refugee Protection.

“The committee reiterates its view that the White Paper is even more urgent now to ensure policy certainty on immigration issues, hence its call for the department to expedite its processing. To avoid a piecemeal approach to legislation development, the White Paper should provide a clear framework of the migration system in the country.

As a result of the committee's decision, which consequently requires the amendment of Section 7 of the principal Act and is not in the Bill, the committee will write to the National Assembly in line with NA Rules 286 (4)(c) to seek permission to amend a section of the principal Act that is not in the Bill.

The Parliamentary Legal Unit, together with the Office of the State Law Advisor, have been mandated to draft the A list of the Bill reflective of the committee's resolutions. The A list will be considered in the scheduled meeting on 10 June 2025. The committee remains committed to concluding the process and ensuring the closure of gaps identified by the Constitutional Court judgement.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.