JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – Sanlam and Santam, joint sponsors of the Sanlam Group Financial Journalism Awards, today announced the finalists for the 2025-2026 edition.
Now celebrating its 51st anniversary, the awards continue to serve as the leading benchmark for business journalism across the African continent. This year's call for entries attracted a competitive pool of 183 submissions spanning 17 countries.
Reflecting a diverse media landscape, 100 entries originated from South Africa, while 83 entries were submitted from other vibrant African economies, including Namibia, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana and Uganda.
The highly anticipated winners – including the category front-runners and the 2025-2026 Sanlam Group Financial Journalist of the Year – will be revealed at a gala event on 23 July in Johannesburg.
Reflecting on the calibre of this year's pool, Nixon Kariithi, convener of the independent judging panel, praised the exceptional storytelling and technical depth found across this year's entries.
“As we mark the 51st anniversary of these awards, our independent panel observed an exceptional evolution in the depth, data precision, and investigative rigor of the submissions,” said Kariithi.
“In an era where global journalism faces severe disruptions from misinformation and shifting economic models, African financial journalists are rising to the challenge. They are not just reporting on markets; they are uncovering complex cross-border narratives with immense local relevance. The 2025 entries are vital because they validated this high-impact storytelling at a pivotal moment when global eyes were fixed on Africa’s strategic influence and economic leadership on the world stage,” he added.
The finalists are:
Business and Companies
Susan Comrie, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, South Africa
Sikonathi Mantshantsha, News24, South Africa
Rob Rose, Currency News, South Africa
TJ Strydom, Currency News, South Africa
Dewald van Rensburg, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, South Africa
Economy
Ruby Delahunt, Currency News, South Africa
Khulekani Magubane, Sunday Times, South Africa
TJ Strydom, Currency News, South Africa
Garth Theunissen, News24, South Africa
Deogratius Wamala, Daily Monitor, Uganda
Financial Markets
Ruby Delahunt, Currency News, South Africa
Kabelo Khumalo, Business Day, South Africa
Lisa Steyn, News24, South Africa
Deogratius Wamala, Daily Monitor, Uganda
Vernon Wessels, Currency News, South Africa
Consumer Financial Education
Ruby Delahunt, Currency News, South Africa
Maya Fisher-French, News24, South Africa
Devi Sankaree Govender, The Devi Show on eTV, South Africa
Wendy Knowler, News24, South Africa
Chanel September, Jacaranda FM, South Africa
ESG – Business and the Environment
Kara le Roux, Daily Maverick, South Africa
Andiswa Matikinca, Oxpeckers Investigative Environmental Journalism, South Africa
Tina Siatta Mehnpaine, Liberian Observer, Liberia
Lisa Steyn, News24, South Africa
ESG – Business and Society
Larry Claasen, Financial Mail, South Africa
Nicole Pillay, Forbes Africa
Masahudu Ankiilu Kunateh, African Eye Report, Ghana
Tina Siatta Mehnpaine, Liberian Observer, Liberia
Broadcast – TV/Video
James Eshun, Multimedia Group Limited (Joy News), Ghana
Devi Sankaree Govender, The Devi Show on eTV, South Africa
Katlego Legodi, SABC, South Africa
Nabil Ahmed Rufai, GHOne TV, Ghana
Broadcast – Audio
Susan Comrie and Aisha Abdool Karim, amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, South Africa
Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, EIB Network, Ghana
Blessing Enebeli, Voice of Nigeria, Nigeria
Eamon Piringu, Zodiak Broadcasting Station, Malawi
African Growth Story
Tim Cohen, Currency News, South Africa
Kingsley Jeremiah, The Guardian, Nigeria
Deogratius Wamala, Daily Monitor, Uganda
Vernon Wessels, Currency News, South Africa
Kariithi led the review of the entries and was joined on the judging panel by:
Angela Agoawike, media practitioner (Nigeria)
Emily May Brown, media studies academic (Namibia)
Freddie Rayborn Bulley, financial journalism trainer (Ghana)
Ylva Rodny Gumede, media studies and international relations scholar (South Africa)
Tom Indimuli, communications consultant (Kenya)
Ulrich Joubert, independent economist (South Africa)
Lizeka Mda, Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa)
Musa Zondi, communications consultant/freelance business writer (South Africa)
Established in 1974, the awards recognise outstanding financial journalists across print, online, radio, and television platforms who are based in Africa and work for African media organisations broadcasting or publishing on the continent. The finalists' work represents the pinnacle of African business journalism, expertly capturing the continent's economic progress and challenges across trade, commerce, finance, and Environmental, Social and Governance factors focusing on business in relation to the environment as well as business and its social impact.