New Grant Award to Honour Phangisile Mtshali and Empower Young Women in Public Relations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Date: August 14, 2025

New Award to Honour Phangisile Mtshali and Empower Young Women in Public Relations

Johannesburg, South Africa – The fraymedia Foundation has announced the launch of the Phangisile Mtshali Grant Award for Transformational Public Relations (PR), a new annual grant designed to support young South African women journalists transitioning into public relations and determined to build their own businesses in the communications sector.

The Phangisile Mtshali Award for Transformational PR is made possible through the generous support and leadership of Pearl Majola, who was both a friend and

professional peer of Phangi, as well as the fraymedia foundation founding board members Bongiwe Mlangeni, Charmeela Bhagowat and Paula Fray. In honouring her legacy, this award aims to empower young South African women transitioning from journalism into public relations, by providing them with the resources, mentorship, and networks needed to build ethical and impactful PR businesses rooted in purpose.

Each year, one recipient will receive a R50,000 grant, access to mentorship from industry leaders, and support to grow a purpose-driven PR company. Applicants must be women aged 25 to 35 with at least five years of journalism or public relations experience and a compelling business plan that demonstrates innovation, impact, and ethical communication.

The first call for applications has opened with a deadline of October 1, 2025. The award winner to be announced on 1 December 2025 — World AIDS Day, in tribute to Phangisile’s deep commitment to health advocacy and communication.

“Phangisile was a passionate believer in the power of communication to make a difference,” said Paula Fray, co-founder of the fraymedia Foundation.

“This award is our way of keeping her light alive by investing in a new generation of women communicators who will shape the South African story with integrity and innovation.”

“My mother was deeply committed to mentoring and empowering young women. We are honoured that her legacy will live on through this award, supporting the kind of impact she cared about most” said her son Mangaliso Mtshali.

The award was launched at the EntreprenHER Seminar on 14 August 2025.

The selection of the recipient of the Phangisile Mtshali Award for Transformational PR will be overseen by an esteemed panel of judges committed to ethical, impactful storytelling and social change. The panel includes fraymedia Foundation board members Charmeela Bhagowat and Paula Fray, along with two distinguished leaders in public health and communication: Kanya Ndaki and Dr. Lerato Ndlovu, Phangisile’s niece. Together, the panel brings a wealth of experience across journalism, public relations, advocacy, health systems, and community engagement — ensuring a thoughtful, values-driven selection process that reflects Phangi’s legacy.

Are you a woman journalist ready to launch your own purpose-driven PR business? The Phangisile Mtshali Award for Transformational PR is now open for applications! 

What’s included?

✔️ R50,000 start-up grant

✔️ Mentorship from industry leaders

✔️ Access to a powerful media and communications network

✔️ Focus on health and development communication encouraged

📅 Deadline: 1 October 2025

To apply, complete the form here.

GALLERY: In honor of Phangisile Mtshali

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Phangisile Mtshali Award Judges

Kanya Ndaki – Strategic Communications and Advocacy Leader

Kanya Ndaki is a seasoned communications strategist with over two decades of experience in public health and development sectors. She currently serves as the Group Senior Marketing and Communications Director at the Aurum Institute, where she leads high-impact campaigns focused on health systems strengthening and community engagement. A former health journalist, Kanya brings deep expertise in narrative strategy, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy.

She is a committed board member of both the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism and Shout it Now, where she contributes her passion for storytelling and public service to organisations working at the frontline of health equity. Kanya’s work is rooted in a belief that clear, compassionate, and strategic communication is central to building trust and achieving systemic change in healthcare delivery across South Africa.

Dr. Lerato Ndlovu – TB Immunologist, Traditional Healer, and Science Communicator

Dr. Lerato Ndlovu is a multidisciplinary leader in health research, science communication, and indigenous knowledge integration. She is a research associate at the Africa Health Research Institute (AHRI) and an award-winning science communicator whose work bridges the worlds of biomedical science and traditional healing. As a TB immunologist and practicing traditional healer, Dr. Ndlovu champions a culturally grounded, inclusive approach to healthcare and knowledge systems.

She is an alumna of the SANTHE and NIH-Fogarty Fellowship programmes, and a recipient of the African Academy of Sciences Science-to-Society grant, which she used to promote science literacy in under-resourced schools. Her research explores the intersection of TB, HIV, and COVID-19, with a particular focus on the biological and cultural drivers of disease progression. As a “Biomarker” featured in the SuperScientists comics, Dr. Ndlovu also inspires young people across the continent to see science as accessible, transformative, and relevant to their lived realities.