2008 Businesswoman of the Year Award Finalists announced

The names of the seven finalists, all of whom hail from diverse sectors of the economy, were announced by the Businesswomen's Association (BWA) at a function held recently at the Nedbank Head Office in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The 2008 finalists are

Corporate Businesswoman category
1) Jene Palmer, CEO of Spescom Ltd
2) Dawn Jones, CEO of Imperial Car Rental
3) Kholeka Mzondeki, Financial Director of Masana Petroleum Solutions
4) Mardia van der Walt-Korsten, CEO of T-Systems SA

Entrepreneurial Businesswoman category
1) Tania Holgate, Sole Member of Zululand Gas Company
2) Chichi Maponya, Managing Director of Maponya Group
3) Ayanda Mbanga, Managing Director of Ayanda Mbanga Communications

Commenting on the selection of finalists, BWA President, Basetsana Kumalo said the organisation was pleased to see how diverse the entries for this year's awards had been as it was a reflection of the increased participation by women in critical sectors of the economy.

Further support for this year's event came from Jenna Clifford Jewellers, CNBC Africa, Virgin Cosmetics, Peermont Global, Octavia's Emporium, Revlon SA and Duc d'O Chocolatier.

The Businesswoman of the Year Award has been recognising and honouring South Africa's outstanding businesswomen since 1980. It has grown in stature over the last 29 years to become one of the premier events of its kind in the country and a notable part of the South African business calendar.

This year's winners in each category will be announced on Thursday 14 August 2008 at a gala banquet to be held at Emperors Palace. Proceeds from the event will go towards the BWA Bursary Fund.