The South African AI Awards 2026 has announced Wendy Mosetlhi as Head of Stakeholder Relations, a strategic role focused on building and managing key relationships for one of the country’s emerging national platforms dedicated to artificial intelligence, innovation and inclusive socio-economic impact.
The role forms part of the broader leadership structure behind the Awards, which bring together industry leaders, innovators, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, technology companies and institutions contributing to the growth of artificial intelligence in South Africa.
The South African AI Awards is a flagship project of AI Impact Group, developed through the group’s growing ecosystem of platforms. AI Impact, the group’s digital publication, focuses on artificial intelligence, technology, innovation and digital transformation news. From that platform, AI Impact Talk was created as a podcast series engaging senior executives, business leaders and industry stakeholders on the impact of AI across different sectors. The Awards now represent the next step in that journey, creating a national stage to recognise excellence, celebrate innovation and honour the people and organisations using AI to solve real-world challenges.
In her role as Head of Stakeholder Relations for the Awards, she will support stakeholder engagement, partnership development, industry relations and strategic outreach. Her work will focus on strengthening connections with sponsors, partners, nominees, advisory leaders, judges, media, ecosystem players and institutions aligned with the purpose of the Awards.
Mosetlhi’s role in the Awards forms part of her broader work within the AI Impact Group ecosystem, where she is involved in stakeholder engagement, strategic partnerships and platform development across AI Impact’s growing media, content and event properties.
Wendy brings experience across media, commercial strategy, events, partnerships and stakeholder engagement. Her professional background includes working with brands, media platforms, business leaders and institutions to build partnerships that create visibility, credibility and long-term value. This experience positions her to contribute meaningfully to a platform that depends on trust, collaboration and strong industry participation.
The South African AI Awards 2026 is chaired by Atenkosi Ngubevana, with a growing advisory and judging structure that includes respected voices from business, technology, research, innovation and governance. The Advisory Council includes senior industry figures such as Arthur Goldstuck, Dr Mark Nasila and Dr Kathryn Malherbe, who bring depth, credibility and sector insight to the platform.
The judging panel also reflects the calibre and seriousness of the Awards, with respected professionals including Vukosi Sambo, Kagiso Dichabe and Dr Khensani Xivuri among those lending their expertise to the process. Their involvement supports the Awards’ commitment to credibility, sector knowledge and a fair evaluation of AI-driven work across South Africa.
The platform is built around the theme “Inclusive Socio-Economic Prosperity”, reflecting its aim to ensure that South Africa’s AI story is not limited to large corporates or major technology hubs. Instead, the Awards seek to spotlight innovation from across the country, including startups, universities, townships, public institutions, private companies and community-driven innovators using AI in practical and meaningful ways.
Categories for the 2026 Awards span key sectors including healthcare, education, finance, agriculture, public service, cybersecurity, telecoms, legal practice, consumer technology, youth empowerment, social good, language innovation and ethical AI governance. This broad category structure reflects the growing influence of AI across industries and the need to recognise both technical excellence and social impact.
For Wendy, the role is an opportunity to help shape a platform that brings together visibility, credibility and national participation.
“The South African Artificial Intelligence Awards are not only about recognising innovation,” she said. “They are about building a platform that connects people, opens up conversations and gives visibility to the work already happening across the country. AI is shaping the future of business, public service, education and society, and it is important that South Africa’s innovators are seen, supported and celebrated.”
The Awards are expected to play an important role in strengthening South Africa’s AI ecosystem by creating a credible platform for recognition, dialogue and collaboration.
As Head of Stakeholder Relations, Mosetlhi will play a central role in building those relationships and ensuring that the Awards continue to attract meaningful participation from across business, government, academia, civil society and the technology sector.
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