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05 September 2022 | Story Anthony Mthembu | Photo Supplied
Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng
Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng, Senior Marketing Officer in the University of the Free State School of Financial Planning Law.
Moleboheng Moshe-Bereng, Senior Marketing Officer in the University of the Free State School of Financial Planning Law, was honoured at the Southern Region Women in Media Awards (SRWIMA) for her outstanding and inspiring work to encourage excellence in academics. “It was an absolute surprise and honour, because at times you don’t think that people out there take note of you or the work you do,” expressed Moshe-Bereng.

The award ceremony, which was hosted at the President Hotel on 27 August 2022, was well attended by women doing inspiring work in various fields. Moshe-Bereng, who was invited to speak to women about financial planning at the awards ceremony, was surprised by one of two platinum awards for her continuous work to encourage and inspire academic excellence. “I am still overwhelmed, because even on the different platforms I use to speak about education, I do so out of passion and I don’t realise how many people are actually listening,” she stated. What is more, the recipient of the other platinum award is radio legend Mamontha Modise-Motaung, who Moshe-Bereng considers the voice of her entire childhood. “I was shocked, humbled, and honoured to realise that Mamontha Modise-Motaung was the other recipient of the platinum award.”

The importance of the Southern Region Women in Media Awards 

The Southern Region Women in Media Awards (SRWIMA) was established by the Free State Empowerment Institute for Women in 2021 as a means to develop and empower women in the media. “The awards are about acknowledging the achievements of women in the media industry who are not always the face of things – such as scriptwriters, camerawomen, technicians, and marketers,” Moshe-Bereng explained. Furthermore, she maintains that these awards are imperative, because they allow women to see other women doing inspiring things. “One of the speakers runs a school where she teaches and mentors aviation technicians. As a woman, I never thought that there were other women doing things like that; seeing it on a platform like that is incredible,” she stated.

Although the ceremony is grounded on empowerment and development, it is special to Moshe-Bereng due to the fact that it is also based on representation. “It shines a light on what is possible for a female child, but most importantly, a black female child,” she expressed. Therefore, the existence of initiatives such as these is important. She says, “I think we live in a world where, even though the opportunities are said to be there on paper – to achieve things, we compete with each other so much – to a point where we are not always giving each other a pat on the back.”

News Archive

Prof Steyn to receive Jan H Marais Prize in Stellenbosch
2017-05-09

Description: Prof Jaap Steyn Tags: Prof Jaap Steyn

Prof Jaap Steyn, who started his career as
journalist at Volksblad, later entered the academy,
and was a professor at the University of the
Free State for many years.
Photo: Marthie Kemp

Although Prof Jaap Steyn will be honoured officially for his contribution to Afrikaans as an academic language at the end of this month, he only became aware of his nomination after he had won the award.

According to this research fellow in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State (UFS), he is grateful for the recognition. He has recently been awarded the Jan H Marais Prize for his outstanding contribution to Afrikaans.

Former Kovsie honoured together with Prof Jan van der Watt
According to a statement by the South African Academy for Science and Arts, the award was jointly made to Prof Steyn, who is probably the best-known South African language historian, and Prof Jan van der Watt van Nijmegen from the Netherlands. The prize money of R500 000, which they will share, will be presented in Stellenbosch on 30 May 2017.

Prof Steyn is a former Kovsie, who was a research professor at the UFS from 1985 to 1997, and at the age of 78 is still a research fellow. “After the announcement of the prize, I learnt that I was nominated by two of my colleagues,” he says.

His most difficult work was probably also his best
Over the past 50 years several of his publications, biographies, and books have seen the light. He believes that nothing one does is perfect. His most difficult work was the biography of NP van Wyk Louw. “It was probably also my best work,” he says. “The book I enjoyed working on most, was the biography of the author MER, or ME Rothmann.”

Prof Steyn has also received awards such as the Stals Prize, the Louis Hiemstra Prize, the NP van Wyk Louw medal, and honorary membership from the South African Academy for Science and Arts.

He says the staff in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French are very friendly and helpful to still render him assistance as a research fellow.


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