Cape Town awards Civic Honours

14 November 2025

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis bestowed Civic Honours on a range of luminaries at a City Council ceremony on 14 November. The City’s highest Civic Honour – the Freedom of the City – will further be awarded to two of Cape Town’s cultural icons, David Kramer and the late Taliep Petersen, at a forthcoming ceremony in January 2026.

Civic Honours are about recognising the contributions of remarkable people who have delivered exceptional public service, in any field of social, community or civic interest.

Honours recipients have generally achieved extraordinary acclaim in their chosen field, have won international recognition for their talent or contribution, or distinguished themselves with extraordinary community service, personal sacrifice, and contributions to nation building.

‘What makes Cape Town truly great is her people - Capetonians have a way of lifting this city high and making us incredibly proud, whether they shine through their art, their skills, their service, their intellectual discourse, their acts of kindness, or their fierce loyalty to their community,

‘Today we recognise some of these outstanding individuals. To all our civic honours recipients – and to all our great Capetonians out there – you make us proud and you give us hope. We also say thank you to every Capetonian who may not be in this Council chamber this morning, but who play their part in making our city great, and making life better for those around them,’ said Mayor Hill-Lewis.

To promote civic pride in Cape Town, Mayor Hill-Lewis revived the tradition of Civic Honours in 2023 after a hiatus of 10 years, with these awards now a regular fixture every two years.

This year’s awarding of honours follows a public nomination process held earlier in 2025, followed by Council approval of nominations, and confirmation of acceptance by nominees.

Civic Honours Book

After Freedom of the City, the second-highest honour the City can confer is the Signing of the Civic Honours Book.

This honour recognises public service to Cape Town that is exceptionally meritorious or impactful, in any field of social, community or civic interest. These recipients have generally achieved extraordinary acclaim in their chosen field, have won international recognition for their contribution, or distinguished themselves with extraordinary community service. The Civic Honours book is kept by the City for future generations to remember Cape Town’s greatest citizens.

The individuals recorded in the Civic Honours Book for 2025 are:

One of cricket’s greatest all-rounders in history, Jacques Kallis.
Internationally-acclaimed film-maker, Oliver Hermanus.
South Africa and Langa’s world cup winning Test Cricket Captain, Temba Bavuma.
Renowned parliamentarian, diplomat, author, and public intellectual, Tony Leon.

The Mayor’s Medal

This prestigious award acknowledges outstanding contributions by individuals or associations in a number of different fields, including:

community service
the arts
social services
youth affairs
recreation and sport
conservation
economic affairs
animal welfare
extraordinary bravery

In 2025, Mayor’s Medals were bestowed on:

For Community Affairs

Prof. Brian O’Connell (posthumously), former Vice-Chancellor of the University of the Western Cape
Wendy Ackerman, philanthropist and business leader

For Social Affairs and Services

The Haven Night Shelter, offering dignified shelter to help people off the streets
The Service Dining Rooms, serving cooked meals to the homeless for over 90 years
Victor Pick (posthumously), a medical researcher who contributed to the world’s first successful heart transplant by Christiaan Barnard

For Cultural Affairs

Basil Appollis, multi-award-winning actor, director, producer and writer
Emo Adams, renowned singer, actor and producer
Denise Newman, accomplished and versatile performing artist
Louis Heyneman, for his advancement of music, arts journalism, and cultural development
Sylvia Mdunyelwa (“Mama Kaap”, posthumously), Langa’s monumental figure in South African jazz

For Recreation and Sport

Babalwa Latsha, Springbok Women’s team captain
Bernard Hartze (posthumously), South African footballing legend
Hamilton Sea Point Rugby Club, South Africa’s oldest rugby club, founded in 1875

For Conservation

Friends of the Liesbeek, transforming Cape Town’s waterways for over three decades
Dr. Joan Parker, the driving force behind the transformation of the Upper Liesbeek River Garden (ULRG)
The Two Oceans Aquarium, a beacon of marine conservation excellence in Cape Town

For Economic Affairs

Prof. Brian Kantor, economist, educator, and public intellectual

For Extraordinary Bravery

The Mountain Club of South Africa, serving Cape Town with a highly skilled volunteer Search and Rescue (S&R) team

For a list of past honours recipients, see here.

Caption 1: Recipients of Mayor’s Medals. Back left to right: Babalwa Latsha trailblazing female rugby player, Bryan O’ Connell son of the late UWC Professor Brian O’ Connell, SA singer and actor Emo Adams, Nicholas Fordyce of Friends of The Liesbeek, Michael Reynold of Hamilton’s Rugby Club, Kyran Wright son of Dr. Joan Parker, CEO of the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra Louis Heyneman, Tema Mzubanzi son of Jazz icon Sylvia Mdunyelwa, Shaddie Valayadum CEO of Haven Night Shelter, Brent Russell of The Mountain Club of South Africa, Michael Farquhar of the Two Oceans Aquarium, and multi-award winning actor Basil Appollis.

Front left to right: Beverley Pick, daughter of medical pioneer Victor Pick, beloved SA television and film actress Denise Newman, philanthropist Wendy Ackerman, City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo, Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, Nozuko Klaas of Service Dining Rooms, and Professor Brian Kantor.

Caption 2: Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, brother of Proteas Cricketer Temba Bavuma (Phola Bavuma accepted on behalf), Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Hermanus, and City Manager Lungelo Mbandazayo. In absentia Proteas, Cricketer Jacques Kallis and Tony Leon.

End

Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office

Mayor civic honours