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South Africans asked to nominate public servants making a difference
South Africans are being asked to shine a light on public servants who go beyond the call of duty and make a difference in the communities they serve.
The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA), together with the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI), has opened nominations and entries for the 2026/27 National Batho Pele and Innovation Awards.
The awards recognise public servants, government institutions and innovative projects demonstrating excellence, professionalism, dedication and new approaches to improving service delivery.
Nominations and entries opened on 15 September and will close on 30 October 2026.
Members of the public, public servants and government institutions can submit nominations and entries online at cpsiregistrations.co.za.
‘They are your mother, your uncle, your neighbour’
The campaign is deliberately looking beyond government offices in Pretoria and other major centres.
Acting DPSA Director-General Willie Vukela, speaking on behalf of Public Service and Administration Minister Inkosi Mzamo Buthelezi, urged South Africans to identify people they encounter in their everyday lives who are making a difference.
“Excellence and innovation in the Public Service is not something that only happens in government offices in Pretoria. It happens in our townships, villages, cities and small towns every single day,” Vukela said.
He highlighted examples such as nurses who know their patients personally, teachers who stay behind to assist learners and officials who ensure elderly people receive the help they need.
“They are your mother, your uncle, your neighbour or your former teacher. You know them. Help us find them,” he said.
The message is aimed at recognising that quality public service can happen at a local level, often through people whose work receives little attention outside their communities.
Changing the public service narrative
The awards also come as government continues its drive to professionalise the Public Service and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government institutions.
For Vukela, recognition is about more than trophies or ceremonies. He said highlighting good work can help establish examples for other public servants to follow.
“We want their stories to travel beyond the communities in which they serve. A young public servant entering government must see what excellence looks like and know that this is the standard we expect,” he said.
“When we recognise those who serve with compassion, professionalism and integrity, we are not simply giving out awards; we are helping build the Public Service that South Africans deserve.”
Innovation that can be repeated
The innovation component of the awards focuses on practical solutions that improve the way government works or delivers services.
The CPSI defines innovation as “the process of transforming an idea into a new or improved product, service, process or approach which fulfils the mandate of government and enhances service delivery.”
Acting CPSI Executive Director Pierre Schoonraad said the awards are also intended to identify ideas that could work in other parts of the country.
“A solution developed, or excellence demonstrated in one clinic, one district or one municipality should not stay there,” Schoonraad said.
“Our interest is not only in celebrating, but in ensuring that what demonstrably works in one part of the country is documented, shared and put to work in another.”
That means successful initiatives can potentially serve as examples for other government departments and institutions facing similar challenges.
From township classrooms to future skills
One example highlighted by the CPSI is the Gauteng Department of Education’s Multi-Certification Skills Programme, which received the Public Sector Innovator of the Year Award.
The programme was developed around the concern that learners can leave school with academic qualifications but limited practical skills for employment or entrepreneurship.
Under the initiative, learners from Grade R to Grade 12 can earn at least one accredited skill each year. By matric, a learner can potentially have as many as 13 formal certifications.
The skills include areas such as coding, drone technology, artificial intelligence, first aid, entrepreneurship and sign language.
The programme has also involved partnerships with industry organisations including Samsung, Merseta and Komatsu, with practical implementation taking place at schools such as Katlehong Engineering School of Specialisation.
The initiative is designed to connect education with industry needs while creating additional pathways towards employment and entrepreneurship.
What categories are open?
The Service Excellence section includes four categories:
- Best Front-Line Service Delivery Employee of the Year
- Best Public Service Leader (Senior Manager) of the Year
- Best Service Delivery Institution/Department
- Best Implemented Project of the Year
The Public Sector Innovation section includes:
- Replication and Adaptation of Innovative Solutions
- Citizen-focused Innovations Harnessing Non-ICT Solutions
- Service Delivery Innovations Harnessing Technology
- Internal Innovations Harnessing ICT or Non-ICT Solutions
Ministerial Awards may also be conferred at the discretion of the Minister for the Public Service and Administration.
What happens after nominations close?
Once nominations and entries close on 30 October, submissions will go through assessment and adjudication.
The process will culminate in the National Batho Pele and Innovation Awards ceremony scheduled for February 2027.
For members of the public, the nomination process offers an opportunity to put forward a public servant whose contribution may otherwise go unnoticed.
Economy
Kaya 959 turns up the heat as Chefs & Chenin talent cooks live on air
Kaya 959 is bringing the flavours of the inaugural Chefs & Chenin Festival to its listeners, with some of the chefs taking over the station for a live cooking experience ahead of the two-day culinary celebration.
Chef Mahalia Jackson, Jacques Venter, Chef Tebogo Morgan and Saviour Moyo will be showcasing their culinary skills on air, giving listeners a taste of what they can expect when Chefs & Chenin takes place at Crawford International Sandton College on 26 and 27 September 2026.
The festival is presented in partnership with Kaya 959 and celebrates two distinctly South African passions – cooking over fire and Chenin Blanc.
Bringing the festival to Kaya 959
The live cooking sessions give Kaya 959 listeners an opportunity to get closer to the chefs and the food that will form part of the festival experience.
Rather than simply talking about what is coming, the chefs are putting their skills on display in the Kaya 959 studio, building anticipation for a weekend where food will be cooked over open flames and paired with South Africa’s much-loved Chenin Blanc.
The festival is designed as a celebration of food, wine, music and local creativity, with a Harvest Market, live entertainment, kids’ activities and an art exhibition also forming part of the programme.
Meet the chefs
Chef Mahalia Jackson brings more than three decades of experience in the culinary industry to the line-up. She is an executive chef, entrepreneur and published author, and has been the managing director of Added Touch Catering & Events since 2005.
Her career has included major corporate events and high-profile gatherings, with Jackson also having served guests including former presidents Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki and international diplomats. She is also the author of Dare to Dream, a recipe book and memoir which won an African Authors Award in the Food Category.
Jacques Venter has built a career across different parts of Johannesburg’s culinary scene. According to his Chefs & Chenin profile, he began his career in 2003 as a commis chef at The Castle Kyalami before progressing to sous chef.
His experience has included fine dining at Roots restaurant at Forum Homini, work at Coco C in Bloemfontein and a stint at the Radisson Blu Sandton, where he worked his way up to executive sous chef. Since 2019, he has been part of the Pick n Pay group as a food specialist at Pick n Pay on Nicol and Thyme restaurant.
Chef Tebogo Morgan, the chef behind CRAVINGS, Gourmet Rainbow Cuisine, brings a fusion approach to the festival. Born in Mthatha and raised in Johannesburg, Morgan trained through the International Chef Management Diploma at Capsicum Culinary Studio in Cape Town.
His culinary style, which he describes as “Fire & Fusion”, brings together Asian and Mediterranean influences with open-fire cooking.
Saviour Moyo, who is also associated with Saint Restaurant Sandton, rounds out the group of chefs appearing as part of the Kaya 959 activation.
More than just food
Chefs & Chenin is being positioned as an experience rather than a conventional food festival.
General access tickets include a tasting meal at a pop-up restaurant of the guest’s choice, where chefs will showcase their food through live-fire cooking. There will also be curated Chenin Blanc tastings, alongside the Harvest Market, live music and entertainment for children.
The festival’s focus on open-fire cooking also taps into a familiar South African food tradition, while the Chenin Blanc element highlights one of the country’s most important wine varieties.
With Kaya 959 providing the radio platform and the chefs bringing the food to life on air, the build-up is giving audiences a preview of what awaits at Crawford International Sandton College.
Chefs & Chenin takes place on 26 and 27 September 2026. Tickets are available through Webtickets.
