Now in its second year, the awards, in partnership with the Human Capital Institute (HCI) Africa, were established to recognise, celebrate and connect young, talented individuals, in an effort to raise awareness of South Africa's talent and increase the sector's talent pools.
"The standard of the entries was commendable and the talented young people who made it to the finals have all demonstrated the strength and depth of character that typifies talented individuals. What we saw very clearly in this year's Rising Stars was genuine social and global awareness, qualities that are critical to effective leadership in the 21st century.
According to Laura Barker, MD for the 2013 DHL Rising Star Awards, the awards also support finalists by granting access to the viable network of Rising Stars. "The Rising Star Network, a closed network which all finalists, judges and mentors have access to, creates an intellectual platform for on-going support and education on current business models and management practices."
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Sumesh Rahavendra, head of marketing for DHL Express Sub-Saharan Africa, says that these Rising Stars will play a key role in shaping the future of our country, forming the role models, opinion leaders and inspiration for South Africa in years to come.
"Motivated, engaged and inspired people are crucial to the success of any business, and ultimately to take South Africa, and Africa, forward. It's therefore crucial that we continue to not only motivate our amazing people but that we also identify and nurture this talent," concludes Rahavendra.
She is passionate about the future of South Africa and strives to push the country's local standards towards international ideals and wishes to translate world retail trends into concepts that work for the local market. *Based in Johannesburg
She is also the director of Letha Ithuba, a non-profit organisation that tackles social issues facing rural areas. *Based in Johannesburg.
He is currently a senior manager at KPMG, as well as chairperson of Advancement of Black Accountants of Southern Africa (ABASA) Free State. He believes that hard work and belief are all the ingredients you need to succeed in life. *Based in KwaZulu-Natal.
His vision for South Africa is a free, open-opportunity society, which provides necessary job opportunities for the restless, educated youth deserving of a life of contribution and achievement. *Based in Johannesburg.
She is also a Doctor of Law student and is committed to building a sustainable bank of empower talented youth through skills development. *Based in Pretoria.
He believes that one of the responsibilities of a leader is to attract, retain and nurture the abundance of talent that the country has and his aim is to improve the quality of leadership and grow talent by developing leaders at all levels. *Based in Johannesburg.
He attributes his success to his ability to mobilise, energise and motivate teams towards mutual goals. He says that South Africa has a lot of potential talent and with the sharpened focus and more strategic view on talent management in recent times, opportunities for these talents become available. *Based in Johannesburg.
He is also known for his passion and desire to see meaningful change in people's lives and hopes to further grow in the CSI space, thereby allowing a greater positive influence in directing financial resources towards creating opportunities that harness the great talent pool that this country has to offer. *Based in Johannesburg.
She has also been recognised by IBM's Hundred Percent Club - a prize for individuals who met their annual quotas - for five consecutive years, received two competitive win back awards and is the project leader for the Global Enablement Teams' South African Business Partner Project. *Based in Johannesburg.
The South African National Youth Orchestra provided entertainment on the evening, with Gareth Cliff as the Master of Ceremonies.
