The Persons of the Year at Africa Food & Packaging Awards celebrate the people who have made the greatest contributions to the food and packaging industries in Africa.

The category is divided into the following sub-categories:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest accolade bestowed upon the most outstanding change makers in the food and packaging industries in Africa.

The recipients of this Award have demonstrated long-term impact through their leadership, dedication and drive, with a significant positive effect on the industry and economy in their country or region at large.  

This Award is only bestowed to those who have retired from active duty in the industry and can also be given posthumously.

CEO / MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE YEAR

The prestigious CEO of the Year is proffered to the individual who through his or her leadership has made significant contribution to the growth of his or her company and the food and packaging industries in the country of operation or the region at large, for a significant duration of time. 

Special focus will be on how the individual has impacted the growth of the next generation of leaders within and beyond their company, including mentorship, capacity building and other programs.

The Award is bestowed to current CEOs and Managing Directors in the food manufacturing and packaging industries in Africa.

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

The Operations Executive of the Year Award is proffered to the individual who through his or her leadership has made significant contribution to the growth of his or her company and the industry at large in the country of operation or the region at large, for a significant duration of time.

Special focus will be on how the individual has impacted the growth of the next generation of leaders within and beyond their company, including mentorship, capacity building and other programs.

The Award is bestowed to executives with operational roles (Production, QA, R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Finance etc) in the food and packaging industries in Africa.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE PERSON OF THE YEAR

The Academic Excellence Person of the Year is proffered to the individual who has, through several years of academic research and leadership, made significant contribution to the growth of the human capital and knowledge in Africa’s food, agriculture and packaging industries.

YOUNG EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

The Young Executive of the Year is proffered to the individual who is below the age of 35 years and who through his or her leadership has made significant contribution to the growth of the food industry and impacted other young people to take leadership in the industry, academia, research or any other field

The Award is bestowed to current young people who are leaders in the food and packaging industry in Africa.

The Plants of the Year at the Africa Food & Packaging Awards celebrate recent investments in the food and packaging industries in Africa.

This category is valid for food and packaging manufacturing plants commissioned since January 2023. 

The Award criteria includes excellence in plant design; application of new technologies; sustainability and climate considerations; compliance, safety and employee welfare.

The category is divided into the following sub-categories:

FOOD PLANT OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new investments in the general food industry, including the following sub-sectors: meat, poultry and fish; confectionery and snacks; coffee, tea and cocoa;  savoury and related 

BEVERAGE PLANT OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new investments in the beverage industry, including the soft and alcoholic beverages sub-sectors.

MILLING, BAKING & FEED PLANT OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new investments in the grains, milling, baking and animal feed industry.

DAIRY PLANT OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new investments in the dairy industry

PACKAGING PLANT OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new investments in the packaging industry.

INGREDIENTS PLANT OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new investments in the manufacture of ingredients for the food, beverage and milling industry.

The New Food Products of the Year Award celebrates the best new products by food and beverage manufacturers as they seek to have their best innovations stand out on the shelves in the region. 

This category is valid for food products launched since January 2023. 

The Awards are aimed at encouraging more thoughtful and impactful innovation from Africa.

Judges look out for innovations that strive to meet rising consumer needs and have broken new barriers in the product’s conceptualisation, unique product formulation, processing and packaging, nutrition and other unique attributes. 

The category is divided into the following sub-categories:

FOOD PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new food products in the general food industry, including the following sub-sectors: meat, poultry and fish; confectionery and snacks; coffee, tea and cocoa;  savoury and others

BEVERAGE PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new products in the beverage industry, including the soft and alcoholic beverages sub-sectors.

GRAIN-BASED PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new products in the grains, milling and animal/aqua feed industry.

BAKING & SNACK PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new products in the baking and snacks industry.

DAIRY PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new products in the dairy industry

READY MEAL PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new products in the ready-meals category of the food industry.

ALTERNATIVE FOOD PRODUCT INNOVATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon new products in the free-from, plant-based and alternative products in the food industry.

The Packaging Innovation of the Year Award celebrates the best new packaging by packaging manufacturers as they strive to meet changing customer and market requirements for the food, homecare and personal care; agriculture and horticulture; industrial, retail and HORECA; pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals sectors in Africa.

This category is valid for packaging innovations launched since January 2023. 

The Awards seek to encourage more thoughtful and impactful innovation coming out of Africa’s packaging industry.

Judges look out for innovations that break barriers in the product’s conceptualisation, sustainability, design and other unique attributes. 

The Packaging Innovation of the Year is divided into the following sub-categories:

PRIMARY PACKAGING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR – open to packaging solutions that come into direct contact with food and other consumer goods and include cans, tubes, pouches, glass, cartons, plastic containers etc

SECONDARY/TERTIARY PACKAGING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR  – open to packaging solutions that are used to offer secondary or tertiary protection to consumer and related products and include corrugated board, pallets, crates and trays.

BULK PACKAGING INNOVATION OF THE YEAR  – include drums and other bulk packaging solutions

The Sustainability Initiatives of the Year Award celebrates the best application of sustainability initiatives by the food manufacturing, retail and foodservice industry. 

This category is valid for sustainability initiatives launched since January 2023. 

The Awards seek to encourage greater adoption and thoughtful uptake of sustainability by the food and packaging industries.

The Sustainability Initiatives of the Year is divided into the following sub-categories:

WATER/WASTE MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon the company that has demonstrated an impactful initiative that has reduced their water and/or waste footprint in Africa’s food and packaging industry

ENERGY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon the company that has demonstrated an impactful initiative that has reduced their energy footprint in Africa’s food and packaging industry

LOCAL AGRICULTURE SOURCING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed upon the company that has implemented an visionary and impactful initiative that has enhanced the localisation of the sourcing of agricultural produce in a country or region in Africa

The Special Awards of the Year Award celebrates impactful organisations in the food, packaging and agriculture industry value chain in Africa.

It is divided into the following sub-categories:

NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed to a non-profit organisation operating in the food, packaging and agriculture sector in Africa, and which has created a clear impact on the community, environment or economy at large in the region where it operates.

The non-profit must showcase at least one initiative that it has implemented over the last 3 years (since January 2023), and its deliverables to be considered for the Award

INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

The Award is bestowed to an industry association with its operations in the food, packaging and agriculture sector in Africa, and which has created a clear impact on the community, environment or economy at large in the region where it has been implemented.

The association must showcase at least one initiative that it has implemented over the last 3 years (since January 2023), and its deliverables to be considered for the Award