Concrete.TV has announced the finalists of the third Women in Construction Awards, recognising excellence in Africa. The awards acknowledge the increasing role of women in the industry and encourage individuals and companies to promote their work, as well as providing an opportunity for those in the industry to come together to celebrate women at the “Glamour Cocktail” evening, hosted by African Construction and Totally Concrete Expos.
The awards will be held on the 13 May 2015 at the Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa.
“We aim to honour and celebrate women and to advance their role in the industry across the continent, I am excited to see we have finalists not only from South Africa, but also from Kenya and the DRC,” says award director Tanitha Jolly. “The awards creates visibility women and those organisations supporting and shaping the role of women in the construction, cement and concrete industry.”
The third “Women in Construction Awards” are both individual and organisational. Individual categories are set to recognise women who are pioneers in innovation within the built environment, as well as identify “New Starters” – women under the age of 30 years – who, through their efforts to date, have been identified as women “to watch” as they get a foothold within the sector.
The organisational awards acknowledge organisations that have stepped up and developed women’s roles through innovative training programmes as well showing their commitment to developing the careers of women in the industry.
“The calibre of the judges sets the standards of the awards – we are privileged to have had 14 industry experts – from across the globe – who gave up their time to evaluate the nominees,” says Jolly.
The 2015 Finalists are, in no particular order:
Individual Catagories
Pioneer in Innovation Award:
- Manana Khotseng, Director, Rehauwe Construction and Development, South Africa
- Melanie Wituka, Managing Director, Suleco Company Limited, Kenya
- Solange Ngandu Misengabu, Managing Director, Best Construct, Democratic Republic of Congo
New Starter of the Year – Under 30 Award:
- Carmen Sharpe, Project Coordinator, Goal Projects, South Africa
- Charne Matthews, CEO, MSHEQ Health and Safety Consultants, South Africa
- Lentsu Mmako, Quantity Surveyor in Training, VSB Quantity Surveyors, South Africa
Organisational Catagories
Most Innovative Women Training Programme Award:
- Gordon Institute of Business Science: The NHBRC Women Empowerment Programme, South Africa
- Group Five Basadi Programme, South Africa
- South African Women in Construction: Free State, South Africa
Excellence in Career Development Award:
- Paragon Group: Architects/ Interiors, South Africa
- Seda Construction Incubator, South Africa
- Suleco Company Limited, Kenya
