Celebrating a Jewish tapestry of achievement

It seems fitting that this year’s Investec Jewish Achiever Awards honoured a markedly diverse group of winners. Aptly themed “Le Festival des Juifs – A Tapestry of Jewish Culture”, the spectacular awards evening included toe-tapping musical performances, delicious eats from around the world, and a massive dose of Jewish pride. 

Armed with colourful passports and boarding passes, the more than 800 attendees at the 2026 Investec Jewish Achiever Awards on 1 November embarked on a journey through Judaism’s multicultural heritage. Entering the Sandton Convention Centre ballroom, designed to provide an international sensory experience, guests were welcomed with a food festival curated by Food By Flavours. 

Reflecting the evening’s theme, it featured stations offering authentically delicious dishes from Eastern Europe, Spain, Ethiopia, China, and India. Plated “in-flight” dining included a Middle Eastern smorgasbord of breads and dips, a Moroccan main meal featuring lamb couscous, and a Western European dessert of Sachertorte, raspberry macaroons, and berries. 

Yet at the centre of it all was the dynamic group of honourees. With more female winners than ever, and winners hailing from Cape Town, Joburg, and Durban, the event highlighted contributions from all facets of the South African Jewish community. 

From the Berman brothers, who have built a groundbreaking property development company, to Dawn Nathan-Jones, the first female winner of the Business Icon award, there was no shortage of inspirational stories. Those honoured embodied the power of a Jewish community rooted in self-belief, determination, and a genuine desire to give back to both the Jewish people and the country that raised them. 

Opening the evening’s festivities, Howard Sackstein, chairperson of the Jewish Achiever Awards organising committee and of the SA Jewish Report, spoke of the origins of South Africa’s Jewish community. Founded in 1841 in the shadows of Table Mountain, the community is part of the soul of this special country, he said. 

“Our fingerprints and our DNA are all over this land, in its soil, in its buildings, and most importantly, etched into its history,” Sackstein said. This remarkable land that we call home has allowed us to flourish and contribute to building this nation, he said. 

Testament to this is the fact that this year’s Investec Jewish Achiever Awards generated a total of 861 nominations. Five panels of esteemed judges interviewed 104 finalists. More than 11 000 people voted online for their favourites. Ultimately, 10 worthy winners were selected. 

In his address, Marc Romberg, chief executive designate of Investec Wealth and Investments, the event’s title sponsor, explained how the night’s winners exuded Investec’s core philosophy of being “out of the ordinary”. 

“A community exists because people choose every day to walk through it and to show up for one another,” Romberg said. “I often marvel at the success of our Jewish community in South Africa. Small in number, it makes an extraordinary contribution to the country that is far out of proportion to its size. 

“We salute a community that not only opens doors but walks hand in hand through them,” he added. “A community that is truly out of the ordinary.” 

Spectacular musical performances featured the talents of Craig Urbani, currently starring in The Rocky Horror Picture Show in Johannesburg, and Moshe Lichtenstein, renowned frontman of The Chupa Band. Urbani, who also served as MC for the evening, praised the Jewish community’s support of the arts. He and Lichtenstein performed a rousing rendition of Israeli second-place Eurovision entry Michelle. 

Another highlight was the young musicians from the Penny Whistle and String Quartet from the Morris Isaacson Centre for Music, named after one of South Africa’s preeminent Jewish community leaders. Choristers, dancers, and post-ceremony entertainment by drummer Pano Nicolaides and DJ Zack Tobias in the Persian lounge rounded off a truly memorable evening.