Inside the 2026 Rising Star judging week

For 15 years, the TransUnion Rising Star Awards have recognised South Africa’s most talented young professionals — not only what they have achieved, but the leadership potential and impact they bring.

The programme is open to professionals under the age of 40 across 12 industry categories, and draws on a network of more than 70 judges each year. Sixty finalists made this year’s final round, five in each category, from banking and financial services, ICT, mining, manufacturing, media, professional services, retail, transport and others.

Becoming a finalist takes more than an impressive CV. Candidates first complete an assessment, then a one-way video interview. Those who progress are invited to an in-person interview with a panel of industry leaders.

It is at judging week that the process becomes personal. Across two days, finalists sit in front of panels of leaders who have built teams, driven innovation and navigated complex business environments themselves. The panels are after what a CV cannot show: what it means to lead in South Africa now, how someone responds when circumstances change, what impact they are having beyond their job description, and what kind of leader they could become.

Judging week brings together people from very different industries, though the atmosphere is consistent: curiosity, challenge and engagement. Each finalist gets to share their story, unpack their achievements and explain the thinking behind their decisions.

For Bridget Makhura, chief people officer at Clicks Group, this year’s finalists showed a noticeable shift.

“The difference, because this is not my first year here, is actually the well-roundedness. We are not finding people that are just silent and thinking about the world in their current environment. They’re thinking beyond ‘my job is an IT specialist’. They’re thinking about what the impact is on society, what the regulation is within this space, what the other stakeholders are.”

“You can actually see these participants going into leadership roles far quicker than what we are traditionally used to. The acceleration into those leadership roles is at an exponential rate, and it’s because they’ve got access to information, access to a lot more than what we had traditionally. And they bring such fresh ideas and fresh thinking with them.”

The judges are part of the experience too, exchanging perspectives and challenging one another’s thinking.

“Every year, it’s different. But every year, it’s a learning opportunity. Every year we just move a step ahead in terms of getting the right quality, the right calibre of candidates.”

Rising Star creates a space where established and emerging leaders meet, and where conversations start that carry on well past the judging room.

The programme does not end when the winners are announced.