The South African Reward Association (SARA) has announced the winners of its annual Reward Awards, celebrating excellence, innovation, and professionalism in reward strategy, remuneration reporting, and emerging talent. The 2025 awards once again demonstrate the growing maturity of the reward profession and its role in building equitable, efficient, and engaging workplaces.
SARA Project of the Year Award 2025
Eight outstanding projects were nominated for this year’s Project of the Year Award, reflecting significant advances in reward, benefits, and employee experience. The judging panel noted a marked improvement in the quality of submissions, leading to two joint third-place winners.
Joint third place: HEINEKEN Beverages and RCL Foods
HEINEKEN Beverages was recognised for its HEINEKEN SA and Distell Group Merger project, one of the company’s largest integration efforts. The team harmonised legacy reward systems from HEINEKEN, Distell, and Namibian Breweries into a unified, market-aligned framework. The project ensured fairness, cultural cohesion, and business continuity, creating a future-fit reward model that supports both performance and equity.
RCL Foods shared third place for its eReward with alignd initiative, which replaced manual, spreadsheet-based processes with a modern cloud solution. Delivered internally, the project enhanced governance, efficiency, accuracy, and user experience. Employees described the system as “super easy and efficient” and “amazing,” with survey data confirming significant satisfaction gains.
Second place: DP World SSA
DP World SSA earned second place for its Total Reward Alignment project, a two-year transformation aligning Imperial Logistics’ legacy systems with DP World’s global reward philosophy. The initiative standardised salary reviews, redesigned short-term incentives, and embedded fairness, transparency, and accountability in pay practices. Judges commended the clear connection between business strategy, performance, and reward culture.
First place: Telkom (POLIPAL Automated Policies Bot)
Telkom was awarded Project of the Year for POLIPAL, an AI-powered policy bot developed through the One Telkom Innovation Office with HR, IT, and BCX. Built on Microsoft Copilot Studio, POLIPAL gives employees 24/7 access to accurate HR and reward policy information, reducing administrative effort and supporting Telkom’s digital transformation. Within a month of launch, the bot achieved an 85% engagement rate and over 82% positive feedback. Judges praised its innovation, strong analytics, and employee-centric design, calling it a standout example of technology improving efficiency and engagement.
SARA Remuneration Report Award 2025
The Remuneration Report Award continues to set benchmarks for governance and disclosure, aligned with King IV principles of fairness, responsibility, and transparency. Independent judges recognised three organisations for excellence in remuneration communication and governance reporting.
Third place: ABSA Group
ABSA was commended for a well-structured, transparent report that directly addressed shareholder concerns and reflected responsible remuneration practices. Its detailed disclosure of awarded and single-figure pay stood out as exemplary reporting.
Second place: Impala Platinum
Impala Platinum’s report offered a clear narrative linking strategy and performance. Judges praised its detailed comparison to past and future practices, creative layout, and strong connection between reward and business pillars.
First place: Old Mutual
Old Mutual received first place for an engaging, data-rich report that connects reward outcomes with performance results. Judges highlighted its innovative reporting of discretion and consistent year-on-year improvement. The report successfully balances visual appeal with detailed analysis, reinforcing Old Mutual’s reputation for high-quality remuneration disclosure.
SARA Young Remuneration Professional 2025: Candice Mncwabe
Candice Mncwabe, Senior Manager of Reward at Deloitte Consulting, was named Young Remuneration Professional of the Year. With more than a decade of experience across consulting, financial services, and global HR transformation, Candice specialises in reward strategy, board advisory, and analytics. A Chartered Reward Specialist and active member of SARA’s Western Cape Committee, she has contributed as a speaker, thought leader, and mentor. Her recognition reflects a strong commitment to innovation, leadership, and the development of future-fit organisations.
SARA President’s Award 2025: Laurence Grubb
The SARA President’s Award honours exceptional contribution to the reward profession. This year’s recipient, Laurence Grubb, Managing Director of Khokhela Remuneration Advisors, is a Master Reward Specialist, member of the SARA Executive Committee, and chair of the Remuneration Committee Forum at the Institute of Directors South Africa. An engineer by background, Laurence is recognised as one of the country’s leading reward experts and a consistent advocate for professionalisation, ethics, and education in the field. His contributions through committees, conferences, and media engagement continue to shape South Africa’s reward landscape.