Cape Town – iZinga Assist & Primedia Cares, together with ecosystem partners, recognised excellence, impact and integrity across South Africa’s non-profit sector last night at the Walk the Talk NPO Excellence Awards, held at the Homecoming Centre in Cape Town. The awards form part of the iZinga Assist Annual Summit and are held in association with 702.
The evening, hosted by 702’s Bongani Bingwa, celebrated civil society organisations and individuals committed to strengthening transparency, measuring impact and demonstrating civic courage. Since launching in October 2025, iZinga Assist has onboarded more than 400 NPOs onto its digital platform, with over 130 organisations fully verified through its 20-step verification process.
Each category winner received a prize package of R30,000 in cash from iZinga Assist, media training plus advert production and flighting on Primedia’s flagship radio stations to the value of R250,000, and a year’s Premier Membership of The Lekker Network worth R27,600. The Impact Award winner also received R30,000 in Impact Measurement and Management services from Relativ Impact.
2026 Walk the Talk NPO Excellence Award Winners
- Innovation Award: Nature Connect
Recognises creative, evidence-based solutions to South Africa’s social challenges — bold approaches that go beyond traditional methods and show promise for scaling.
Presented by Bun Booyens Loubser of Shoprite Financial Services. - Impact Award: Numeric (Bluestream Education NPC)
Recognises the organisation that has shown the most significant measurable, meaningful and sustained social impact, with strong monitoring, evaluation and learning practices.
Presented by Fiona Milligan of Relativ Impact.
In recognition of the strength of the field, Relativ Impact and the Relatomics Foundation are also offering every Impact Award applicant a complimentary Impact Measurement and Management Capability Assessment valued at R10,000. - Leadership Award: Play with a Purpose Educational Trust
Recognises an individual or team that has shown outstanding, ethical leadership inside their organisation — resilience, accountability and values-based decision-making.
Presented by Renier Lombard of The Lekker Network. - Changemaker Award: National Institute for the Deaf
Recognises the individual or team that turns intention into action and leads meaningful change in their community.
Presented by Trish Taylor of Primedia Cares. - iZinga Assist Nomatemba Tambo Responsible Citizen Award: Patricia Morgan Mashale
Presented to a courageous individual who has stood up to corruption and exposed it publicly, often at personal risk.
Presented by Derek Lubner on behalf of the award.
“These winners represent the very best of what the non-profit sector can achieve — innovative, rigorously accountable and courageous,” said Derek Lubner, Co-Founder and Chair of iZinga Assist. “Bongani anchored the evening with professionalism and heart, reminding everyone why rebuilding trust between donors and NPOs matters so deeply.”
The Walk the Talk NPO Excellence Awards form part of iZinga Assist’s core mission to verify civil society organisations, independently rate their governance and delivery, and route donor capital through transparent payment rails, including Shoprite Money Market Accounts.
The summit and awards were brought to you by iZinga Assist & Primedia Cares, in partnership with Shoprite, MacRoberts Attorneys, Relativ Impact and The Lekker Network, and in association with 702.
About iZinga Assist
iZinga Assist is a UK-registered charity with a non-profit company (NPC) in South Africa. Its digital verification and rating platform is designed to bridge the trust gap between donors and civil society organisations, providing transparent data and auditable disbursement infrastructure. Non-profit organisations register free of charge.
Website: www.izassist.org
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