Standard Bank continues sponsorship of Sikuvile Awards

“An annual recognition of excellence in South African journalism, the Awards reflect one of the bank’s core values, ‘upholding the highest levels of integrity’,” says Erik Larsen, head of external communication, Standard Bank. “We look to the media to ensure that they hold people in positions of power and authority accountable for their actions and that they expose greed and corruption and issues that prevent South Africa from reaching its full potential.

“In addition to this, the Awards also fulfil an important function in helping the bank to build and deepen its relationship with the South African media. The bank has a strong commitment to the growth and development of Africa. We have a very clear purpose: Africa is our home; we drive her growth. The Sikuvile Awards contribute towards excellence in journalism and help encourage journalists to tell the real Africa story.”

“An essential part of media is excellent journalism. It is important to recognise and reward excellent journalism. Competition amongst the media can only lead to better journalists and healthier journalism," he concludes.

“The sponsorship continues to make it possible to celebrate the best journalistic work in our country,” says Neo Momodu, board member of the Publishers Support Services (PSS), which hosts the Awards. “We hope that the Awards continue to inspire and challenge journalists to strive for greater levels of journalism excellence and to uphold the principles of media freedom," Momodu concludes.