On Wednesday, the 3^rd of May 2023, the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies (DHHS) hosted its annual awards ceremony in the Auditorium of the Merensky Library. This year’s ceremony was the first in-person one since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and focused on the theme, “Be the X Factor” (in the world of Artificial intelligence- AI).

The DHHS has held annual award ceremonies to acknowledge and celebrate the academic achievements of its students since the early 1990s. These ceremonies have also functioned as a marketing tool over the years to showcase the activities of the DHHS and its students. This annual event also includes the active involvement of sponsors and alums of the DHHS, who attend the event as either presenters on behalf of sponsors, or as sponsors themselves. This clearly indicates the DHHS’s commitment to its students and the relationships that the Department builds with its current and former students.

From left to right: Abraham Mlombo, Nisa Paleker, Motlatjo Mogoboya, Karen Harris, Eddington Esterhuizen

This year, the DHHS was delighted to again be able to present prizes from the Historical Association of South Africa, the Southern African Historical Society, Historical Publications Southern Africa, Getaway magazine, Protea Book House, Van Schaik Publishers, Additionally, the Department is very proud and grateful to announce two new sponsors for these annual awards - Jonathan Ball Publishers and Greyspot Consult and Tour Operators. What makes this even more extraordinary is that DHHS’s alums made this possible in both cases. This further indicates the Department's relationship with its former students and alums.

From left to right: Hannes Engelbrecht, Angela Clarke, Karen Harris

The event was organised by DHHS lecturer Mrs Karina Sevenhuysen who Prof Karen Harris, Head of the DHHS, described as the Department’s “X-factor”. In her presentation, Mrs Sevenhuysen made the point that the “human factor” was still pivotal regardless of AI, while the award recipients shared what they regarded as their “X-factor” in their success.  This year’s Awards Function allowed the Department to again acknowledge its top students and recent graduates and their dedication to their academic work. Acting Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Prof Sandy Africa, congratulated all the award winners as well as all the Department’s graduates for 2023, remarking that it was a “really wonderful occasion” for the DHHS staff, students and their families.

The winners and recipients of the awards are as follows.

HERITAGE AND CULTURAL TOURISM AWARDS

Brenda Labuschagne

• Department of Historical and Heritage Studies - Award for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at first-year level

Veronique van Wyk

• Department of Historical and Heritage Studies - Award for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at second-year level

Mzingaye Hlabano

• Alumnus - Award for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at second-year level in Community-based Tourism

Marli Rheeder

• Greyspot Consult and Toru Operators - Award for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at third-year level
• Historical Association of South Africa - Certificate for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism over all three years at undergraduate level

Angela Clarke

• GETAWAY Magazine - Award for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at honours level
• UP Museums - Book Prize for best research report in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at honours level
• Historical Association of South Africa - Certificate for outstanding performance in Heritage and Cultural Tourism at honours level

HISTORY AWARDS

Minké Nel

• Jonathan Ball Publishers - Award for outstanding performance in History at first-year level

Twana Nel & Lesego Mokgandi

• Historical Publications Southern Africa - Award for the best History essay by a first-year student

Gemma Mills

• Jonathan Ball Publishers - Award for outstanding performance in African History at second-year level

Bianca dos Santos & Tina Manyaneso

• Southern African Historical Society - Award for outstanding performance in South African History at second-year level

Aiden Cameron Schutte

• Protea Book House - Award for outstanding performance History at second-year level

Julia Kolbe Collingwood

• Van Schaik Publishers - Award for outstanding performance in History at third-year level
• Historical Association of South Africa - Certificate for outstanding performance in History over all three years at undergraduate level

Julia Kolbe Collingwood & René Sachs

• Johan Bergh Historia - Award for outstanding performance in History at third-year level

Motlatjo Mogoboya

• Van Shaik Publishers - Award for outstanding performance in History at honours level
• Protea Book House - Award for the best research report in History at honours level
• Historical Association of South Africa - Certificate for outstanding performance in History at honours level
• Historical Association of South Africa - Award for outstanding performance in Film History at honours level

Carol Read, Quinn Wash, Siwakhile Mazibuko & Stephanus Adriaan van Zyl Lötter

• Jonathan Ball Publishers - Research award for best group assignment by History honours students based on primary research: “What’s in the Box” – project