Shoprite Checkers/SABC 2 Woman of the Year Award 2007 results

Linda Olga Nghatsane

The event, which will be broadcast at 9pm on SABC2 on Wednesday, 8 August 2007 and at 10.30am on Thursday, 9 August 2007 - National Women's Day - also included the announcement of the winners of the seven categories of the Award.

Linda Olga Nghatsane, a public health practitioner from Mpumalanga, turned farmer three years ago to answer financially desperate women who challenged her while she taught good nutritional practices.

These women said although they acquired useful nutritional knowledge they remained challenged by poverty and unemployment. That is when Nghatsane bought the 10 hectare farm De Hoop in the Crocodile River Mountain conservancy near Nelspruit.

The land was overgrown with Lowveld vegetation and most of the bush clearing had to be done by hand. There was no infrastructure on the farm, i.e., no house, electricity or water and not even a road leading to the piece of land which she has since turned into a flourishing farm.

Today she is rearing broiler chickens, an operation with a capacity of 25,000 chickens; and producing oyster mushrooms, strawberries and a variety of vegetables. The farm's turnover per year is about R2 million. Nghatsane bought the farm without Government assistance in a commercial transaction.

Her successful farming also includes involvement in community development where she is conducting training on planting vegetables in bags, poultry and oyster mushroom production as well as the care and support of orphans and vulnerable children.

She is a self-driven person who does not believe in hand-outs but in hard work. Nghatsane uses the example of how she has turned an open land in the middle of nowhere into an oasis to create jobs as well as feeding her community.

Accepting the Award, Nghatsane, who won in the business category before taking the overall title, said that winning the Award will afford her business publicity as well as opportunities for growth and networking with other business women and easier access to market opportunities.

“It will widen my horizons to reach more people as well as access more resources for community development. I am now so motivated to further excel in what I am doing and I am in a better position to collaborate in Public/Private Partnership initiatives,” she concluded.

Judges deliberated for several hours due to the high standard quality work done by the finalists. Judge Lucy Mailula, chair of the panel of judges, said of the winners, finalists and all the nominees that they have again proved that South African women from all walks of life are doing sterling work for the country.

“It is fantastic that the Shoprite Checkers/SABC 2 Woman of the Year Award showcase these unsung heroines as they are truly role models to the young women and girls in South Africa. The achievements of this year's winners is inspiring and worthy of the nation to celebrate and are all of a high calibre.

Winners of the other six categories of the prestigious Award are:
Esther Carmickle-Ramusi - Social Welfare
Dr. Angela Mathee - Health
Adv. Molly D. Malete - Education
Dr. Carol Hofmeyr - Arts, Culture and Communications
Allyson Lawless - Science and Technology
Anne Siroky - Sport

An annual major initiative for National Women's Day, the Shoprite Checkers / SABC2 Woman of the Year Award is now in its twelfth year and continues to focus attention on issues which are of importance to the women of South Africa.

For more information, visit: http://www.sawoman.co.za/