Phil Weber Award shared by Haffajee, Sgourdos

Haffajee is one of the respected and fearless editors of her generation. Her record of accomplishment as a trailblazing journalist is now evident in a culture of excellence at City Press, which she has steered since 2009. She believes it is vital for the country to have a robust, independent media and she is at the forefront of defending it.

Sgourdos is known for his drive, commitment and perseverance. His exceptional knowledge of the group's pay-tv business and expertise on the subject of the internet enables him to make valuable inputs - not just as financial chief, but as a consummate user.

Chairman's Award also shared

The Chairman's Award, which recognises a staff member who has walked the extra mile, was also shared - going to Isak Maklein and Christine Malinga.

Maklein is an assistant team leader at Leserskring/Leisure Books. He has made valuable input and acted as a role model in fostering customer urgency, self-management and capacity building of the team. Malinga has been a valued member of the Beeld team for over 20 years and is said to be an inspiration to her colleagues.

Vosloo also thanked the group's employees for their contribution to the excellent financial results the group reported on at the AGM. He noted this was an exciting but challenging time to be working in the global media business. "Change is happening more rapidly than ever and we're facing some truly complex issues. In the face of these, the group continues to grow, guided by its core strategies: the organic growth of our existing businesses and adding a few acquisitions that add value to our group. This strategy has served us well to date. I'm confident it will continue to underpin our success."