Fresh judges announced for 2025 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Awards
The 2025 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Awards has revealed the names of some of the judges who will weigh in, with both internal and external experts evaluating the entries in the various categories, with five judges per category...
David Green, CEO of V&A Waterfront. Image supplied
Driving entries is one aspect of the build-up to the 2025 V&A Waterfront Neighbourhood Awards, an annual awards programme that is open to all retail tenants at this vibrant and dynamic Cape Town waterfront property.
Another important facet is the quality and variety of the judging panel, the trusted few who get to hone in on the winners from the slew of entries received.
‘We have a large assortment of tenants, from large multinationals to small independents, servicing a range of consumer needs and wants, which is why it is important to have a diverse group of judges, selected from media, business, retail and tourism, to choose our winners,’ says the V&A Waterfront’s retail executive, Alex Kabalin.
This year, 33 judges will weigh in, with both internal and external experts evaluating the entries in the various categories, with five judges per category.
The V&A Waterfront has compiled an internal team comprising 14 participating senior staff members drawn from different areas of the property’s management needs, spanning sustainability, marketing, leasing, communications, events, project management and retail, and including CEO, David Green.
The judging panel that is external to the V&A Waterfront comprises a host of trusted suppliers and industry representatives who are highly respected experts in their fields.
There are several repeat judges who were part of the entry-evaluation process last year, such as CEO of The Loeries, Preteesh Sewraj; Dr Judy Mann-Lang, executive for strategic projects at the Two Oceans Aquarium; founder of Wakanda Food Accelerator, Miles Kubheka; and managing director of MSC Cruises, Ross Volk.
Fresh faces on the judging panel include Sabine Lehmann, CEO of Curiositas, a consultancy specialising in attractions and tourism futures; Sylvester Chauke, founder and chief architect at DNA Brand Architects; Gavin Jones, head of asset management at Growthpoint Properties; Amanda Dilima, asset manager - WC commercial at Growthpoint Properties; creative director and editor at Lookbook Studio, Charl Edwards; and Herland Cerveaux, managing director of OceanHub Africa, an ocean-impact catalyst supporting ocean-impact ventures.
The awards are judged anonymously, remotely and independently, based on criteria provided prior to entry submission. The 2025 judging panel was selected by global consultancy Truth Loyalty, which also oversees the entire judging process to ensure that all entries are judged fairly and with the utmost care.
Judging takes place from 7 August to 16 September 2025 and the winners will be announced at an awards evening on 1 October 2025.
The V&A Waterfront is also calling on members of the public to share their views on which retail tenants should be acknowledged for excellence: the People’s Choice Award is judged entirely by public voting.