New judges of the Achiever Awards

Six new judges have joined the 2026 Investec Jewish Achiever Awards panel, bringing different voices to the recognition of excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, and contribution in the community. 

Investec for Business head Anthony Meltzer and Phatudi Maponya, chief executive of Maponya Investment Holdings, join the judges of the Investec Business Icon Award, Investec Business Leadership Award, and Investec Professional Excellence Award. 

Dis-Chem co-founder Lynette Saltzman joins the Europcar Women in Leadership Award panel, while Investec Business and Commercial Banking’s Greg Cline joins the Ichikowitz Family Foundation Rising Star Award. 

Finally, advertising industry veteran Ann Nurock and Dis-Chem co-founder Ivan Saltzman join the Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award. 

Meltzer says, “I was happy to become a judge due to Investec’s involvement, and this being an opportunity to be part of a process of recognising people who are making a meaningful contribution to both the Jewish community and broader South African society. 

“The Jewish Achiever Awards are important as they celebrate excellence, leadership, and impact, while also highlighting the resilience and contribution of our community. I’m honoured to contribute to the process and look forward to learning more about the nominees.” 

For Maponya, being appointed a judge is “an honour and a privilege” and an opportunity to make a contribution to a community whose members have played a meaningful role in his life. He described former Wits lecturer Karen Lazar and Dr Jody Pearl as two “Jewish heroines”. Lazar gave him and 16 other African students free extra English classes in 1986, while Pearl was there for him years later when he suffered a stroke. “I am here today largely because of her quick intervention,” Maponya said. 

Having attended the 2024 Jewish Achiever Awards, Maponya is interested in experiencing the judging side. 

Together, Meltzer and Maponya will judge three Investec categories. The Investec Business Icon Award recognises seasoned, established, and iconic business leaders; the Investec Business Leadership Award recognises leadership and impact in business; and the Investec Professional Excellence Award honours those who have achieved national recognition in their profession. 

Saltzman will judge the Europcar Women in Leadership Award, recognising a woman who has distinguished herself through leadership and achievement in business, public life, the arts, academia, or the community. 

Cline joins the panel for the Ichikowitz Family Foundation Rising Star Award, recognising achievers aged 35 and younger who are showing promise and leadership. 

Nurock and Saltzman will judge the Eric Ellerine Entrepreneur Award, which recognises innovation and resilience in entrepreneurship. For Nurock, joining the judging panel brings her relationship with the awards full circle. “I was honoured to be approached to be a judge, having won a Jewish Achiever Award about 300 years ago,” she joked, describing it as “probably one of the best nights of my life”. 

“I understand the absolute privilege and honour it is to be nominated for this prestigious award, but to win it is quite something,” Nurock said. For her, the awards are also about a small community recognising its own. “The nominations come from our own community, the judges are from our own community, and the winners are from our own community. It really is a privilege.” 

Behind the judging is a process designed to ensure that decisions are made fairly and on merit. It is independently audited by Garron Chaitowitz, audit partner at BDO South Africa. 

The six new judges join the wider panel entrusted with selecting this year’s recipients ahead of the Investec Jewish Achiever Awards on 1 November.