The 2019 Sefika Awards took place on 27 August 2019 at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town. These awards are voted for by booksellers in recognition of overall excellence in the Academic, Education and Trade fields. We are proud and honoured to have been awarded the title of both National Education Publisher of the Year and National Academic Publisher of the Year!

The criteria used by booksellers in the selection process include outstanding levels of customer service, outstanding turnaround times for book delivery, superior relationships, communication and support from the sales team to booksellers.

The highlight of the evening, however, was the awarding of the inaugural Nick Perren Foundation – Publishers’ Association of South Africa Lifetime Achievement Award. This award seeks to recognise individuals who have dedicated considerable time and energy to serving the common interests of all involved in publishing. This year, this award was jointly and posthumously won by the late Stephen Johnson (former MD of Penguin Random House Publishers) and our very own Lieze Kotzé, for their immense contributions to the industry. Lieze’s award was presented by Steve Cilliers, our Managing Director, and accepted by her partner, Shui-Lyn White.