SEACon, previously known as the ESG Africa conference, is proud to announce the launch of the third edition of the ‘Beyond Awards'. This year, the organisers of the event are excited to announce that the Beyond Awards will be co-located with the YES (Youth Employment Service) ESG Awards. Both events provide a platform to recognise people and organisations who are driving sustainable business practises in South Africa as well as celebrating the outstanding efforts of private sector companies in driving social impact through job creation.

The awards ceremonies for both events will take place alongside the ESG Africa conference, which is scheduled to take place from the 15-16 October 2025, at the Sandton Convention Centre. The conference aims to bring together business leaders from Africa to address pressing issues in sustainable practices. This year's theme, "Adapt. Innovate. Succeed. Driving sustainability in changing times," emphasises the need for companies to adjust to the evolving sustainability landscape and demonstrate how sustainability initiatives contribute value to the bottom line.

The YES ESG awards aim to recognise organisations that have gone above and beyond in driving inclusive youth development and social impact in SA. By providing youth with quality work experience, business leaders make one of the most vital contributions to a sustainable and inclusive economic future for South Africa. The honourees have played a key role in advancing the “S” in ESG by generating employment, promoting economic growth, and fostering social development across the country. Through their partnerships with YES, these companies are making a remarkable social impact, empowering a generation to shape their own success and become catalysts for change within our society.

"We are honoured to be running the Beyond Awards again with our partners and sponsors, and to be hosting this prestigious awards event alongside the YES ESG awards programme. Both prestigious awards ceremonies will take place on the 15th of October, alongside the Sustainability and ESG Africa conference," says Joshua Low, co-founder of the conference. “We have been working hard to build an ecosystem of ESG and sustainability professionals over the few years, and the awards are an important addition to our initiatives aimed at driving greater awareness and education as to the benefits of sustainability and ESG in driving a more sustainable future for all.”

YES CEO, Ravi Naidoo adds, “Bringing the awards together this year feels like the entire industry has moved from the side stage to the main stage. ESG and Sustainability is being discussed and actioned by the most senior of executives and the conference this year is further evidence of this. There’s no doubt that the conference participation, and the award entries will surpass anything we’ve done in the past, and YES is so proud to be involved.”

In 2024, the Beyond Awards received over 414 entries from a range of companies, across 5 award categories. The awards ceremony, which took place on the 2nd of October 2024, and welcomed over 300 delegates to celebrate the winners of the awards. This year two new award categories have been added namely a 'Beyond Sustainability Project Small-scale' and 'Beyond Communications Strategy'. The awards will therefore encompass 7 categories. Any individual or organization that complies with the individual category criteria and with a proven footprint in sustainability may apply to the Beyond Awards. Entry to all categories is free of charge and the deadline for completion is the 15th of August 2025.

Winners for both awards programmes will be announced at an official ceremony on the 15th of October, at the Sandton Convention Centre, from 7pm.