By celebrating organisations that put people, purpose, and impact at the centre of what they do, The Investors in People 2025 Awards touch the very heart of what our business is all about: building an inspired, empowered and well-equipped team of passionate young leaders who have the skills, mentorship and drive to do the same for South African educators.
New Leaders Foundation and its flagship programme, Data Driven Districts, are at a pivotal point in our journey of impact. Evidence shows that we have done much to strengthen education through data-driven decision-making, and by building capability, confidence and a culture of data-led thinking among education officials, teachers and principals at all levels. But there is so much more to be done. Entering these awards has been a way for us to reflect on our journey, benchmark ourselves against global peers, and share the story of how purpose, people and impact can come together to drive systemic change.
The recognition, credibility and global exposure that The Investors in People 2025 Awards provide could be a crucial stepping stone in us achieving the scale of awareness and support that will elevate DDD to new, and much needed, heights.
Being shortlisted has been an incredible honour and a source of pride for our team. For all of us at New Leaders Foundation – many of whom are young professionals at the start of their careers – this recognition validates their dedication and hard work in striving to transform education, despite a myriad challenges. For our leadership, the shortlisting confirms that our strategy to transform South Africa’s education system through systemic, data-led change, while at the same time creating a pool of skilled, confident young new leaders, is recognised internationally as best practice. It reminds us that the countless hours spent in schools, districts, and communities are making a difference that is visible on a global stage. This achievement belongs not only to NLF, but also to every education official, principal, and teacher in our country who has embraced data-driven decision-making as a cultural shift.
Winning this award would be a powerful affirmation that our purpose-driven approach truly stands out on a global stage. It would recognise not only NLF, but also the Department of Basic Education and the many who have worked alongside us over the past decade to make the Data Driven Districts programme a national success.
For our team, it would inspire confidence that their work is world-class, and would fuel their growth as future leaders. For the broader education sector, it would signal that South Africa’s journey towards embedding a culture of evidence and accountability in education is both globally relevant and exemplary.
Above all, it would give us renewed momentum and a platform to raise awareness of the programme and its potential, in turn helping to sustain and scale our impact, ensuring that millions more learners benefit from purposeful, data-driven decisions.
Being part of the Investors in People community is a vital benchmark for us because it represents a global standard of excellence in how organisations put people and purpose at the heart of their work. While NLF is not yet formally accredited, we are actively engaging with the Investors in People team to complete our accreditation process. We are excited about the opportunities this will bring; from accessing practical insights and tools, to benchmarking our practices against international standards, and learning from peers across sectors.
For us, awards and events like this are more than recognition. They are platforms to exchange ideas, reflect on our own growth, and strengthen our ability to deliver sustainable impact in South Africa’s education system. We look forward to not only celebrating what we have achieved but also to deepening our engagement with the Investors in People community, so that we continue to stretch, learn and improve as an organisation committed to building purposeful, people-centred impact.
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Ready to make work better? Complete the form below and one of our team will be in touch to discuss your accreditation enquiry.
Ready to make work better? Complete the form below and one of our team will be in touch to discuss your accreditation enquiry.
