The chancellor of the North-West University (NWU), Dr Anna Mokgokong, received the Lifetime Achievement Award during the 20th annual Top Women Awards in Sandton.

Dr Mokgokong, who is a passionate social activist and champion for women empowerment and transformation, accepted the award during a prestige awards ceremony on 7 November.

“As a woman in a male-dominated society, I had to navigate through overwhelming odds to establish my presence in the business world,” says Dr Mokgokong. “South Africa is a remarkable country, and its people deserve to reap the rewards of its wealth. Together we must dismantle the barriers that hold us back, working tirelessly to create a society in which everyone, regardless of race, gender or background, can thrive. I dedicate this award to the freedom fighters, to my family, my parents who sacrificed all they had to send me and my five siblings to school – it is a happy moment for them too today, and to every woman who has dared to dream.”

The Top Women Awards is an annual event presented by Top Media and Communications (Pty) Ltd (Topco Media), in partnership with Standard Bank. It celebrates the achievements of women leaders and organisations that empower women in various categories. These accolades include individual awards for women in professional and support services, property, public sector, business and entrepreneurship, among other categories.

“Every year, an esteemed panel of Top Women adjudicators select a Lifetime Achiever on the basis of her contribution towards shaping a gender-inclusive nation. As a society, we are deeply grateful for how Dr Mokgokong has devoted her career to education, issues of human rights, social justice and, most importantly, the empowerment of women,” says Ralf Fletcher, chief executive officer of Top Media and Communications (Pty) Ltd.

Previous recipients of the prestigious Lifetime Achiever Award include former First Lady Zanele Mbeki, Mary Twala, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, former Public Protector Thuli Madonsela, anti-apartheid activist Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, Graça Machel and veteran journalist Juby Mayet.

Dr Mokgokong is no stranger to awards. She has received numerous accolades for her work as community and business leader, among them the Women who Make a Difference Award from the International Women’s Forum in 2022. She was inaugurated as the NWU’s chancellor in 2019.

Dr Anna Mokgokong, the NWU’s chancellor, is this year’s recipient of the Topco Media and Standard Bank Lifetime Achievement Award.