The Institute of Information Technology Professionals South Africa (IITPSA) has released the list of finalists for the 2020 IITPSA President’s Awards. The 2020 awards, which were delayed by the Covid-19 lockdown and are themed “Excellence in Adversity”, will recognise those IT professionals who excelled during a particularly challenging year.

IITPSA CEO, Tony Parry, says IT professionals played a crucial role in minimising the impact of the lockdown, keeping public services running, enabling businesses to keep operating and helping citizens to continue learning, working, transacting and communicating digitally.

IITPSA president and board chairperson, Thabo Mashegoane, agreed, saying, “Unfortunately, we cannot give awards to all the IT professionals who worked so tirelessly during 2020, but we acknowledge their efforts and thank them for their continued professionalism during what was a supremely difficult time”.

The 2020 finalists are: 

IT Personality of the Year Award 2020

This award is presented by the IITPSA in association with ITWeb and the Gordon Institute of Business Science. It recognises a person who has made an outstanding impact on the SA ICT industry over the past year and a significant contribution to the IT profession.

• Ntuthuko Shezi, serial entrepreneur and innovator, and founder of livestock investment platform Livestock Wealth.
• Lynette Hundermark, digital and mobile marketing guru and co-founder of mobile solutions consultancy Useful & Beautiful.
• Karen Nadasen, CEO of PayU South Africa, lead for diversity and inclusion for PayU Africa and chair of the Ecommerce Forum of South Africa (EFSA).

Visionary CIO of the Year Award 2020

This award is presented by the IITPSA in association with ITWeb and the Gordon Institute of Business Science and recognises a personality on the other side of the IT vendor and service provider sector – an executive in the corporate IT environment who has demonstrated visionary leadership in applying technology to grow and transform business.

• Nomthi Nelwamondo, CIO of Assupol
• Ashley Singh, CIO of Sanlam Corporate
• Dr Stanley Mpofu, CIO of the University of the Witwatersrand
• Mervyn Goliath, Managing Executive Data Networks at BCX
• Helen Constantinides, Group CIO and EXCO member of AVBOB Mutual Assurance

Social Responsibility/Community Award 2020

This award is presented by IITPSA in association with ITWeb and the Gordon Institute of Business Science. It recognises a person, team or project delivering the benefits of IT on a not-for-profit basis into the community,or bringing the community into the IT space (addressing the digital divide).

• Venisha Nayagar, founder of CRYPT IT and director in various NPOs that host programmes for women in technology.
• Takalani (Taki) Netshitenzhe, Chief Officer and Executive Director of External Affairs for Vodacom South Africa, and Chairperson of the Vodacom Foundation.
• GirlCode, a registered NPO aimed at empowering young girls and women through technology.

Technology Excellence Award 2020

This award is presented by IITPSA in association with ITWeb and the Gordon Institute of Business Science. It recognises a person or team who has made exceptional / innovative use of information technology, or has designed an innovative new technology for an organisation and has exhibited technological excellence that has delivered measurable benefit for business and / or the SA economy.

• Eldrid Jordaan, Founder and CEO of GovChat.Org
• Zahir Mamoojee, Vertical Business Lead for digital buildings solutions, and pre-sales team leader at IOT.nxt.
• Takalani (Taki) Netshitenzhe, Chief Officer and Executive Director of External Affairs for Vodacom South Africa, and Chairperson of the Vodacom Foundation.  
• CFAM Technologies, originators of the Food ATM where people can receive instant porridge using a coupon system.

The Distinguished Service in ICT Award

This is awarded jointly by EngineerIT and the IITPSA and recognises a significant, career length contribution to the ICT profession and / or the ICT Industry. 

The winners will be announced during a virtual awards ceremony to be held on 15 April 2021.

To show your support for the nominees, please go to this link and click on those you believe to be most deserving.