The 2026 CSI Legacy Awards have once again placed African entrepreneurship, social innovation and corporate citizenship at the centre of the continent’s business conversation.
Held last week in Johannesburg, the announcement of the final nominees drew a full house of corporate leaders, investors, social innovators and NGO trailblazers gathered to celebrate a new generation of visionaries redefining business purpose across Africa.
Now in its fifth year, the CSI Legacy Awards have evolved into one of South Africa’s foremost platforms celebrating excellence, innovation and leadership in Corporate Social Investment (CSI). From 393 nominations, the selection committee refined entries to 169 semi-finalists and ultimately 24 finalists across eight categories, a process that mirrors the growing sophistication of South Africa’s social impact economy.
The 2026 CSI Legacy Awards Finalists
Best Corporate
- Oceana Group — Zodwa Velleman
- The Moti Group — Zunaid Moti
- Redefine Properties — Pearl Sekgobela
- Allan Gray Investments — Seth Muli
Best CEO
- Primestars South Africa — Martin Sweet
- CHOC Childhood Cancer Foundation — Hedley Lewis
- SweepSouth — Lourandi Kriel
Best Woman
- SweepSouth — Lourandi Kriel
- Seriti Institute — Juanita Pardesi
- The Family Life Centre Johannesburg — Jennifer Papers
Best Social Enterprise
- Mzanzi Care Build Advisory Services — Phindile Mabunda
- Tswelangoele Primary Co-operative — Agnes Modlalo Malebane
- Taking Care of Business — Tracey Gilmore
Best NGO
- Pink Drive — Noelene Kotschan
- Little Eden Society — Ann Coetzee
- Sesame Workshop – Mari Payne
- The South African Depression and Anxiety Group – Fatima Seedat
Best Rising NGO
- Bonamelo Melisizwe Foundation — Bonamelo Moloi
- The Family Life Centre (FAMSA) — Jennifer Papers
- National Graduate Employment Solutions — Albert Malatji
Best Green Impact Initiative
- Taking Care of Business — Tracey Chambers
- Hlanzekile River and Ocean Cleaning — Floyd Nyai
- Petco — Samu Mkhize
Best Rural Community Project (New Category)
- Socio Skills — Mahlogonolo Ngoepe
- UR Global Mentorship — Anele Mkhuzo
Entrepreneurs Driving Social Capital
The CSI ecosystem in South Africa valued at an estimated R10.3 billion annually, according to Trialogue’s 2025 CSI Handbook, has become a strategic component of national economic resilience. It bridges gaps left by public funding, fuels small enterprise growth and connects corporates to grassroots innovation.
Within this landscape, entrepreneurs like Mahlohonolo Ngoepe, founder of the Socio Skills Foundation, exemplify how social entrepreneurship is reshaping development models. Her organisation, a finalist in the Best Rural Community Project category, champions inclusive education and EdTech innovation for youth with disabilities.
“Feeling super proud! Socio Skills Foundation has been chosen as a finalist in the CSI Legacy Awards for Best Rural Community Project, and I’m honestly so honoured to be part of this team,” said Ngoepe. “The work we do in rural communities is so close to my heart, and seeing it recognised like this means a lot.”
Her words reflect a broader shift whre social enterprises are no longer peripheral players but mainstream drivers of innovation and economic inclusion.
The Evolving Face of South African Business
From SweepSouth’s tech-powered cleaning platform to Tracey Gilmore’s circular economy initiatives, the finalists embody a new era of South African capitalism one that values shared prosperity over short-term returns.
The introduction of two new award categories, Best Green Impact Initiative and Best Rural Community Project, underscores this transition. They recognise the emerging intersection between sustainability, technology and rural enterprise, a nexus that increasingly defines South Africa’s future business growth.
This shift aligns with data from McKinsey’s 2025 African Business Outlook, which highlights that over 45% of South African firms now integrate social impact metrics into their business performance frameworks, compared with 18% five years ago.
As South Africa grapples with youth unemployment, load shedding and inequality, such entrepreneurial agility is driving private-sector-led social innovation. In this area, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become vital.
Leadership, Legacy and Lessons
The Johannesburg event also featured a keynote address by the former CEO of the Nelson Mandela Foundation and now Managing Director of Rhe Hata Mmoho, who explored how “legacy” in business has evolved from charity to transformation capital.
A special funders’ session unpacked “who they fund, what they fund and how organisations can better position themselves,” a sign that impact financing is gaining traction beyond traditional donors. The panel on transformation frameworks offered actionable insights for both corporate executives and grassroots innovators navigating compliance, governance and access to capital.
“Several organisations entered after years of being nominated multiple times — a testament to the maturing nature of the CSI ecosystem,” noted organisers, highlighting the persistence required to thrive in South Africa’s competitive development space.
As Editor-in-Chief Simphiwe Mtetwa put it:
“From over 390 nominations, only 24 finalists made it through representing the very best across eight categories, including two brand-new additions!”
“Congratulations to all the finalists corporates, NGOs, social enterprises and individuals who continue to redefine impact and transformation in our country.”
Early Bird Access and the Road to 2026
The CSI Legacy Awards 2026 ceremony will officially take place next year on 14–16 February, marking five years of recognising excellence and integrity in South Africa’s social investment industry.
Early bird tickets are open at R598 until the end of the 16 Days of Activism campaign, after which prices rise to R1,398. The organisers encourage CSI professionals, entrepreneurs, funders and NGOs to attend and engage in shaping a more inclusive economic future.
What’s emerging from South Africa’s CSI ecosystem is a blueprint for the continent’s next economic chapter built on resilience, responsibility and reinvention.
From corporates like Allan Gray investing in youth entrepreneurship, to grassroots changemakers like Ngoepe transforming education in rural communities, the message is clear:
Africa’s most powerful innovations now lie at the intersection of profit and purpose.
As the continent continues to unlock its entrepreneurial potential, the CSI Legacy Awards are not just an annual celebration, they are a barometer of Africa’s evolving business DNA, one that fuses impact, innovation and integrity in equal measure.
