Last Updated: 09 November 2011
CityKidz pre and primary school – winner in 2009 in the ‘Caring Joburg’ categoryCityKidz pre and primary school – winner in 2009 in the ‘Caring Joburg’ category
NOMINATIONS have closed and now the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and its affiliated partners have their hands full as they sift through the many people and projects nominated for the prestigious Halala Joburg Awards.
The JDA, adjudicators and Thabiso Consulting, the project managers of the awards, are busily undertaking site visits and analysing projects in detail to come up with a shortlist ahead of the awards ceremony, to be held on 12 May at Turbine Hall Square in Newtown, during the JDA Inner City Property Investment Conference.
According to Joanne Millan, the head of research at Thabiso Consulting, 95 nominations were received across the seven categories by the deadline of 19 March.
Through the Halala Joburg Awards, inner city restoration, revitalisation and regeneration are encouraged. There are seven categories: Living Joburg; Working and Buying Joburg; Relaxing and Playing Joburg; Sustaining Joburg; Caring Joburg; Believing in Joburg; and Conserving Joburg.
After the first round of adjudication, the list was brought down to 59 across all categories as some of the nominations did not meet the necessary requirements. The criteria and terms and conditions were provided to all interested parties and can be viewed online.
Site visits
Site visits are being undertaken of these 59 nominations to ensure that all criteria on site are met. The final adjudication is scheduled to take place on 22 and 23 April. Adjudicators will meet and finalise the candidates who will be in the running for the awards. Those who make it on to the list will be phoned in the last week of April.
Millan adds that nominees this year have been mainly first-time entrepreneurs. The JDA is extremely excited that it is inspiring people to take up projects in the inner city, she says. “Halala Joburg Awards is paving the way.”
The awards encourage organisations to extend a helping hand through funding and development while assisting individuals with their projects. And they recognise “the tenacity, faith and commitment of those who have joined the collective regeneration effort that has seen Joburg’s inner city regain her dignity and take her place as the centre of a world-class, African City”.
Lael Bethlehem, the chief executive officer of the JDA, says that this year, the agency will not announce the winners at a gala evening but rather, it has set aside an entire day for a fully fledged investment conference. It aims to keep this structure for future Halala Joburg Awards.
The conference
Over and above the awards at the JDA Inner City Property Investment Conference, there will be a number of sessions between investors, analysts and academics involving public-private partnerships.
The morning session will feature a series of speakers who will be focusing on inner city trends and impacts.
The shortlisted Halala Awards candidates will be allowed to display presentations on their projects or programmes in the afternoon, which will be followed by the awards ceremony at a celebratory cocktail event.
The categories
Living Joburg, with the sub-theme “Not houses but homes”, recognises residential projects that provide innovative, progressive and inclusive housing that addresses inner city residents’ needs and supports developing the community.
Posh inner city living with Ashanti in Anderson Street, 2009 winner in the ‘Living Joburg’ categoryPosh inner city living with Ashanti in Anderson Street, 2009 winner in the ‘Living Joburg’ category
Working and Buying Joburg, with the sub-theme “Creating a business destination”, recognises innovative, exciting and striking commercial and retail developments that attract people to the city.
Relaxing and Playing Joburg, with the sub-theme “The recreation destination”, recognises creativity and innovation with regard to the built environment to provide daring use of new and old buildings and exciting use of space to create unique recreational experiences.
This includes the original use of public space, urban art, sports and recreation, and entertainment facilities, such as gyms, restaurants and theatres, among others.
The Sustaining Joburg category is going green this year, with the sub-theme “Green buildings, green city”. It identifies projects and individuals with innovative, environmentally sound and sensitive approaches. They also have to use and maintain to build environment investment, regeneration and development in the inner city.
“Supporting Joburg’s citizens” is the sub-theme of Caring Joburg, which recognises selfless and community-minded individuals, volunteer groups and organisations that create the “caring heart” of the city. This category acknowledges individuals who deliver support services focused on community development.
Believing in Joburg – the Stan Nkosi Achievement Award – has the sub-theme “Joburg: the home of innovators, investors and implementers”. This category honours the late JDA chairman, Stan Nkosi, by recognising individuals who display the same degree of commitment, developmental values and allegiance to sustaining the inner city.
The final category is Conserving Joburg, the Colosseum Award, which has the sub-theme “Joburg past, present and future”. It recognises work done in conserving heritage buildings that meets certain renovation criteria as shown in the national and provincial heritage policies.
Millan concludes: “The inner city is ready to proudly display the remarkable regeneration achievements that have taken place. In its third year of recognising such achievements, the JDA’s Halala Joburg Awards will be showcasing the most innovative and impactful projects and people that our inner city has to offer.”