OneAfrica, a powerful new voice within the NGO sphere, is proud to announce the launch of the first OneAfrica Awards – a celebration of African excellence.

The awards, which will be available on Showmax as a seven-part series from the 18 July 2020, showcase African individuals, communities, and NGOs whose work enriches solidarity, social cohesion, and the economic advancement of the continent.

According to Ebrahim Rasool, co-founder of OneAfrica alongside partner Majota ‘Phat Joe’ Khambule, the awards provide an important panacea for the afro pessimism and intra-African conflict which has needlessly held us back in previous eras.

“We know that when Africans are made aware of the excellence within Africa by fellow Africans, pride is built and conflict gives way to greater understanding.”

Rasool adds that, amidst the unprecedented turmoil brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic and global recession, now more than ever it is important that we work together to heal and grow the continent – as well as acknowledging those whose work enriches communities and fosters social solidarity.

While initially planned as a spectacular gala dinner, the OneAfrica Awards has been strategically reformulated due to the lockdown regulations to be an innovative series of televised broadcasts.

Rasool added “These awards would not have been made possible without our partners the National Lotteries Commission (NLC) and Multichoice.”

Each episode of the seven-part series will feature winners who have achieved excellence in entertainment, media, health, education, sustainability, traditional knowledge, and sports.

Rasool says that while some categories required deliberation and shortlists, others presented exceptional outliers whose outstanding accolades merited clear, unanimously championed victory right from the outset.

As part of the series, the grantees will be honoured with a performance by some of Africa’s finest. These include the likes of DJ Neptune from Nigeria, South Africa’s Busiswa, Ben Soul from Kenya and many more who will grace our screens with the embodiment of what the continent has to offer.

Rasool believes that these awards are an important step towards reframing leadership through an Afro-centric lens.

“We want to acknowledge our African champions for their enormous, selfless efforts in raising the bar in every aspect of modern life, and whose excellence allows us to know, love and understand one another as Africans. Ultimately, we can only embrace what we love, can only love what we understand and only understand what we know. The OneAfrica Awards are an attempt to let Africans know, love and understand each other,” says Rasool.

Episode Overview: Categories and winners

Episode one sees Nigerian superstar Burna Boy, whose flamboyant, distinctly African musical voice conquered global billboards receive the award in the Cultural Influencer category. This award celebrates those who wield profound positive cultural influence on Africa’s youth. With a style that weds ancient tribal spirituality to highly accessible modern pop, and an uplifting message of African unity, Burna Boy has resonated deeply and inspired African pride all over the world.

The award for Research in Healthcare is presented to Prof Salome Maswime in the second episode. Obstetrician, Gynaecologist and Professor of global surgery at UCT, Maswime’s cherished combination of humanitarian compassion and scientific diligence has inspired the world to cast light on issues facing maternal care for women in Africa. Maswime is a hero whose work has saved innumerable lives and strengthened the infrastructural care that African healthcare systems offer new mothers on the continent.

A veritable poster-child of modern business savvy, the clear winner of the Social Media category in episode three is Ugandan socialite, TV star and tycoon-turned-philanthropist Zari ‘The Boss Lady’ Hassan, whose awe-inspiring highly profitable mastery of digital enterprises has captured the attention of the continent’s brightest business minds.

The fourth category and episode, Keepers of Traditional and Local Knowledge, reflects a worldview that values and preserves the customs and traditions of Africa’s lifeways, and is special in that it has been granted to a group rather than an individual – The Karoo Development Foundation – who are one of the last remaining bastions of traditional power for Africa’s oldest people – The Khoisan.

Episode five is presented by football legendary Lucas Radebe, the Outstanding Person in Sport award is granted to Tendai ‘The Beast’ Mtawarira, not only for professional excellence in the game of rugby, but for his heroic work as a role model to the youth and ambassador for positive masculinity, good sportsmanship and immense charitable contributions of money, time and energy to various causes.

The prestigious sixth category/episode Innovation in Agriculture and Farming, acknowledges the work of Pan-African agrarian wonder-woman Dr Brylyne Chitsunge which has nourished the continent and provides hope for a brighter, more resilient food-future for us all. This holistic heroine pilots’ aircrafts as a hobby and has a background in healing and medicine. Like most of the awardees she is a proud parent and her professional excellence is grounded in the strong family values that lie at the core of all African cultures.

Excellence in Education, the last episode in the series is granted to Fred Swaniker, the Ghanaian entrepreneur, thought leader and development expert whose ambitious umbrella scheme with Chapters in major universities across the continent aims to groom 3 million African leaders by 2060.