The former President of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa, will be the guest speaker at the awards and the President of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, will be present as an award nominee.

 

The annual Drivers of Change awards are held together with the annual Investing in the Future awards that recognize outstanding corporate social responsibility initiatives. The awards are presented at a gala dinner with 300 business and civil society leaders each year.

 

The prestigious non-monetary Drivers of Change awards recognise outstanding new ways of working to overcome poverty. They recognise individuals and organisations from the business, government, and civil society sectors. This year, nominations were received from 9 southern African countries.

 

The judging panel noted the very high quality of nominations this year. Nominees in all four categories of the awards demonstrated:

• Innovation in the strategies used to develop and implement better public policies to overcome poverty;
• A focus on making a real and lasting difference to the material conditions of people living in poverty;
• Attentiveness to, and significance for, overcoming poverty and inequality throughout the southern Africa region; and
• Inclusion of diverse voices, especially voices of poor people.

Previous keynote speakers at the awards include the former President of Mozambique, Joaquim Chissano, and the former President of Mauritius, Cassam Uteem.

 

The Southern Africa Trust is an independent non-profit agency that supports deeper and wider regional engagement to overcome poverty in southern Africa.

 

Journalists who wish to interview former President Mkapa or attend the awards should contact Grace Kadzere at Red Flag Design & Marketing.

 

 

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For more information please contact Grace Kadzere of Red Flag Design & Marketing on (011) 447 8283, grace@redflag.co.za