South Africa has been on a winning streak in recent months – bagging numerous tropies and awards the world over. In our first blog for Fin Select New Zealand we’d like to celebrate some good things by highlighting these great achievements.
Let’s look at South African achievements and awards in recent months across the globe.
Chasing gold: how South Africans are flying the flag abroad
South Africa has not had an easy ride these past couple of years. From loadshedding woes and Covid-19 to political unrest and economic blunders – saffas have faced our fair share of challenges. It’s hard to see a silver lining when faced with so much devastation. The individuals and teams representing our country have, however, exceeded expectations to turn that lining from silver to gold.
“What is pressure in South Africa?” – Rassie’s famous words
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been quite outspoken about his journey from player to coach. While he hasn’t stated explicitly that he’d taken a page from former president Nelson Mandela’s book, his tactics – as they evolved in recent years – speaks to a deeper understanding of what it is that makes South Africans tick.
“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination.”
Nelson Mandela, Inaugural Laureate Sports Awards 2000
Rassie decided to change focus by taking pressure off the field and reminding the players that sport should be about creating hope. He admits time and again that his greatest flaw as player was his arrogance and not understanding that the players represent the people back home.
If you watched any of the post-celebration clips following SA’s last Rugby World Cup win, you’ll understand the power that sport has in uniting a nation.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at SA’s achievements in recent months.
Springboks bag the Rugby World Cup for the 4th time
We can’t kick this off without focusing on our most prominent success of late – winning the RWC 2023 to become the first team in history to hold the cup a fourth time.
The Springboks faced much critique for winning most matches with a ‘one point’ difference, but for many South Africans this is merely a reminder that the game isn’t over until the last whistle blows.
Dricus du Plessis: “Hulle weet nie wat ons weet nie”
As the underdog in international MMA, Dricus du Pleassis was not favoured to win his match against U.S. fighter Sean Strickland. Du Plessis faced Strickland’s hammering blows, but in the end it came down to the most divergent fighter. While Strickland got far more jabs in than Du Plessis, he seemed to have only one play – throwing punches.
Strickland’s tactics may have helped in a boxing ring, but the octagon demands diversified skills which saw Du Plessis claim the crown.
Dricus isn’t the only fighter to win for team SA in recent months:
WKO World Kickboxing Championships:
- Wade Rendall: Coach of the Year
- Brett Heslop: Gold, Millenium Belt Title, Top Senior Male Fighter
- Chloe Assad: 2 x Gold, Best Junior Fighter of the Year
- Thando Mahlangu: Best Senior Male Full Contact Fighter of the Year
- Camielle Goldstone: 2 x Gold, Best Senior Female Fighter of the Year
Tyla grabs the Grammy
South African singer Tyla has made waves by bagging the 2024 Grammy Award for Best African Music Performance. The 22-year-old was awarded for her song ‘Water‘.
This follows on 2023′ win by Wouter Kellerman, Zakes Bantwini & Nomcebo Zikode for the Best Global Music Performance. Black Coffee also nabbed the win in 2022 for Best Dance/Electronic Album.
The Proteas of sheep shearing
We’re a land of diverse skills and aptitudes. Claiming victory at the Golden Shears 2023 World Sheep Shearing Championships was therefore to be expected. Team SA won the global prize in Scotland last year.
Neo Hutiri wins with Pelebox
SA entrepreneur Neo Hutiri grabbed top honours from the UK’s Royal Academy of Engineering for his Pelebox smart locker system. His innovation earned him accolades in the international health sector banked him an award of R1,1 million.
Wits students win at Global Undergraduate awards
Two students from the (Wits) walked away with top honours at the Global Undergraduate Awards (UA) in Dublin last November.
Thompho Netshivera received the coveted Thomas Chucklin Gold Medal for his hydro turbine project. Rachel Haupt was named Regional Winner for Africa and the Middle East. Her research focused on the application of optically stimulated luminescence for ageing dune deposits.
Hana Gammon wins 2023 Commonwealth Short Story Prize
Storytelling is in our bones, so it’s no surprise that we claimed best short story at the 2023 CSS Awards. ‘The Undertaker’s Apprentice‘ is dedicated to Gammon’s Oupa. Professor Christo Viljoen was a former Dean of Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University.
BAFTA win for SA animation
A South African animation, Thaba Ye, won the best Animation at the 2023 BAFTA Student Awards. The Sepedi Film, dubbed ‘The Mountain’ in English, won the hearts of judges to grab us gold. The film is a project by Mogau Kekana – as saffa studying at the Hobelins School of Animation in Paris, France.
Lukhanyo Mdingi claims Amiri Prize
While saffas were deeply immersed in the RWC, we were making waves on other fronts as well. Fashion designer Lukhanyo Mdingi walked away with the coveted Amiri Prize. Lukhanyo beat other contenders from Canada, Italy and China to take his second international award. He also won the special Karl Lagerfeld Prize in 2021.
Other wins and accolades for team SA
While we can’t possibly feature all of our stars the world over, here are some other proud representatives for SA:
- Kevin Lerena: WBC Interim Bridgerweight Champion, 2024.
- Zola Nene: Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2023 winner. (All three of her cookbooks hold world titles)
- Khosi: Big Brother Titans reality show Grand Prize ($100k) 2023.
- Professor Sunil Maharaj: Harry Oppenheimer Fellowship Award 2023.
- Robot-Boii: Best Dance award – inaugural Trace Awards.
- University of Fort Hare: All African Dance Championship winners 2023, Seychelles.
- Musa Motha: UK National Dance Award winner 2023 and Britain’s Got Talent contender.
- Lee-Ann Olwage: Winner – World Press Photo Awards & Sony World Photography Awards, 2023.
- SARU & CRCD: International Olympic Committee climate action award 2023 (for RWC 7s 2022 project)
- Jean-Marc Johannes: Festival International des Sports Extreme World series Am 2023 bronze medalist (incl. 5 Guinness World Records thus far).
- Tariq Moosa: Slammed UK 2023 winner best custom (Chicano Customs – BMW E9 2800 CS)
- Motorsport SA & Daniel Pienaar Technical High School: Federation International de Automobile – President’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award 2023.
- De Rustica: EVOOLEUM Awards 2023, Spain – ‘Best in Class’ and ‘Absolute Best Olive Oil’
- Van Ryn’s Distillery: World Brandy Awards 2023 – World’s Best Wine Brandy.
- Sumayya Vally: Dezeen Awards 2023 in partnership with Bentley – Emerging Architect of the Year.
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