Winners of the Fairlady Women of the Future Awards for 2016 announced

Sarah Collins, founder of Wonderbag, receives her trophy.

Sarah Collins of Wonderbag was named the Fairlady Woman of the Future for 2016. She is the producer of a revolutionary non-electric heat-retention cooker. “My heroines are African women,” she says. “I am exceptionally proud to be African. Our resilience and capacity for innovation is so inspiring!” Collins plans to spend her prize money where it counts, by putting it back into the community where she started the extraordinarily successful Wonderbag – an informal settlement outside Soweto.

The Fairlady Rising Star 2016 Award winner is Moyin Oloruntoba, owner of The A1. Moyin produces online entertainment content geared towards youth culture, and the recognition and validation offered by the Rising Star Award means the world to her. “I’ve put in a lot of work, and having a brand like Fairlady say, “This is amazing – keep going,” is the best thing ever,” she says. “South Africa needs young entrepreneurs for the economy of this country to do better in the long term, and it means so much to be encouraged.”

These two inspiring winners were selected from an incredible shortlist of finalists, by a respected panel of successful business-minded and well-known South African judges, including Public Protector Adv Thuli Madonsela; Santam director Yegs Ramiah; media entrepreneur and international speaker Jo-Ann Strauss; TV presenter, radio host and MC Leanne Manas and Fairlady editor Suzy Brokensha.

“South Africa is an extraordinary country that produces extremely impressive entrepreneurs – some of the best of whom are women,” says Brokensha. “Every year, I am amazed at the ingenuity and smarts of these women. Honouring and encouraging female entrepreneurs is a cause close to the heart of Fairlady and our readers, and it’s a privilege to be part of this process.”

Guests in attendance included: philanthropist and author Sonia Booth; businesswoman and MC Gerry Elsdon; model and lawyer Jena Dover; fashion designer Craig Jacobs; businesswoman and model Shashi Naidoo; Comedian and presenter Tumi Maroke; and TV personality Zuraida Jardine.

Collins receives R50,000 in cash, a mentoring session with one of the judges, a R3,000 shopping voucher from Queenspark, a Sony Xperia Z5 and Sony tablet, an online course from GetSmarter worth R12,500, a Bamboo Revolution watch and an Issey Miyake (L’Eau d’Issey) hamper worth R7,880. And Oloruntoba receives R20,000 in cash, a mentoring session with one of the judges, a R3 000 shopping voucher from Queenspark, a Sony Xperia M5 and Sony tablet, an online course from GetSmarter worth R12,500, a Bamboo Revolution watch and an Issey Miyake (L’Eau d’Issey) hamper worth R7,880.

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