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About the Awards

The Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism have been recognising and rewarding exceptional business journalism in Africa since 1974.

The competition is open to African journalists in print, online, radio and TV media who are based in Africa, working in an African news organisation, and publish or broadcast their journalistic work on the continent.

The 2022-2023 edition of the Sanlam Group Awards for Excellence in Financial Journalism sees the competition introduce Santam as a co-sponsor, and a new category on Environment, Social, Governance issues.

The introduction of the ESG category recognises the rise to global prominence of sustainability considerations, particularly in corporate governance, investment decision-making, government policy as well as in extreme weather conditions with a significant impact on society and business.

The competition is open to African journalists in print, online, radio and TV media who are based in Africa, working in an African news organisation, and publish or broadcast their journalistic work on the continent.

The winners are selected by an independent panel of judges comprising retired business editors, media trainers, academics in journalism, and economists. Selecting the winning entries is based on criteria covering news value, impact, rigour in reporting, analytical value, originality, integrity, demonstration of specialist knowledge on the subject matter and storytelling.

The awards are a keenly contested top prize in the financial journalism landscape in Africa.

Awards Categories

The competition comprises eight category prizes and three top awards, presented as follows:

Category Awards:

  • Business and Companies
  • Economy
  • Financial Markets
  • Consumer Financial Education
  • The African Growth Story
  • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
    • Business and the Environment
    • Business and Society
  • Broadcast: Radio/Audio/Podcasting (in financial news reporting)
  • Broadcast: Television/Video (in financial news reporting)

The Business/Companies, Economy, Financial Markets and Consumer Financial Education categories are open only to South African journalists in print and online media.

The African Growth Story, Broadcast: Audio, and Broadcast: Video, ESG: Business and the Environment, and ESG Business and Society categories are open to African journalists in Africa working in an African news organisation and practising journalism in print, online, radio and TV on the continent.

The African Growth Story category, introduced in 2013, recognizes exceptional business journalism focusing on the growth of the continent in terms of investment, infrastructure development, economic progress, and related topics. Stories should reflect a Pan African outlook and regional integration theme.

Top Awards:

  • Best Newcomer
  • Lifetime Achievement
  • Financial Journalist of the Year

Winners of the top awards are selected through a rigorous nomination and evaluation process, at the discretion of the independent judging panel.

The winner of each category receives R 30 000 prize money. The Best Newcomer winner receives R25 000. The overall winner – Financial Journalist of the Year – receives R 40 000. All winners receive a certificate of recognition.

For detailed information about the categories and criteria, visit the categories page.

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