Phandulwazi Jikelo of the Cape Times is the 2023 Journalist of the Year.
As the winner of the News photographs category, Jikelo is the first photojournalist to be named Journalist of the Year for many years, as the Journalist of the Year has generally come out of the Investigative or Hard news category.
Michelle Banda from Daily Maverick was named the Juby Mayet Rising Star of the Year. Justin Langeveld of News24 and Netwerk24 was named Manager/Publisher of the Year.
The Allan Soga/Standard Bank Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement went to Eusebius McKaiser, who recently passed away.
Over 400 entries were received this year. All category winners received the coveted Sikuvile Journalism Award Trophy, certificate, and R15,000 prize money. All finalists receive certificates.
There was no Popular News category winner.
| CATEGORY 1: Hard News | |||
| Winner | Norman Masungwini | “R480 Million Bill for Idle State Cars” “2024 National Elections under threat” | City Press |
| CATEGORY 2: Indigenous Language Reporting in Community Media | |||
| Winner | Cleopatra Jones | “Not Just a Body Number” “Inkolelo Engaziwa” | SABC |
| CATEGORY 3: Community Service Reporting | |||
| Winner | Malibongwe Dayimani and Kayleen Morgan | “Enyobeni tavern tragedy” | News24 |
| Commendation | Sune Payne | “Heartache of forced removals lingers as claimants prepare to make ‘history’ and move back to District Six” | Daily Maverick |
| Commendation | Liezl Human | “Plan to create ‘Khoisan Orania’ in Grabouw” | Ground up |
| Commendation | Zikhona Tshona & Njabulo Cele | “Siyabonga” | Newzroom Afrika |
| CATEGORY 5: Investigative Journalism | |||
| Winner | Jeff Wicks | “Silenced: Why Babita Deokaran was murdered” | News24 |
| CATEGORY 6: Business Journalism | |||
| Winner | Ann Crotty | “Spar: Has the friendly store lost its way” | Financial Mail |
| Commendation | Carol Paton | “From AK-47s to business forums: This is how SA's 'construction mafia' is winning” | News24 |
| Commendation | Lisa Steyn | “Will Transnet be the next Eskom? Industry warns rail is in free fall in SA” | News24 |
| Commendation | Dewald van Rensburg | “The ANC's Manganese 'Gold Mine” | AmaBhungane |
| Commendation | Dewald van Rensburg, Sam Sole & Micah Reddy | “Gold ‘scam’ robs SA of billions, says SARS” | AmaBhungane |
| Commendation | Antoinette Slabbert | “Einde van die pad” | Rapport |
| CATEGORY 7: Features | |||
| Winner | Media Hack team: Laura Grant, Leonie Joubert, Alastair Otter, Tanya Pampalone, Gemma Ritchie,Gemma Gatticchi, Paul Botes | “A Perfect Storm” | Media Hack-TheOutlier.co.za |
| Winner | News24 team: Nokuthula Manyathi, Sharlene Rood, Chante Schatz, Kayleen Morgan, Amy Gibbings, and Aljoscha Kohlstock | “When the rains came” | News24 |
| Commendation | Willemien Brümmer | “’n Reeks oor haweloses” (two-part series) | Netwerk24 |
| CATEGORY 8: Lifestyle | |||
| Winner | Nomvuyo Ntanjana | “Carving Out Hope” | SABC |
| CATEGORY 9: Columns/ Editorial | |||
| Winner | Hamilton Wende | “The first casualty of the war is truth – and humanity is close behind.” “Adriaan Vlok – the old man and the dark shadow of the past” | Daily Maverick |
| Commendation | Sibusiso Mjikeliso | “With adequate help, Nkosi’s story can have a different ending to Tyibilika” | News24 |
| Commendation | Johanna van Eeden | “Wat is SA se atarimae?” | Beeld |
| Commendation | Kgaugelo Masweneng | “Faku was right: ‘Where there is fire, there is politics’” | Timeslive |
| CATEGORY 10: Visual Journalism | |||
| Winner | Rikus Ferreira | “Wakers en Makers van belofte" “SA kinders sukkel” “Die soet druppels van oorreding” | Taalgenoot |
| CATEGORY 11: News photographs | |||
| Winner | Phandulwazi Jikelo | “Parly Fire Flares as Questions Mount” | Cape Times-Weekend Argus |
| Commendation | Siphiwe Sibeko | “Mohlakeng descends into chaos as community burns Zama Zama homes and belongings” | Reuters- Timeslive |
| CATEGORY 12: Feature Photographs | |||
| Winner | Sandile Ndlovu | “Fallen Reed” | Sunday Times |
| CATEGORY 13: Sports Photographs | |||
| Winner | Lefty Shivambu | “Coach likens himself to Biblical Noah and Moses” | Sowetan |
