Seriti Institute is proud to announce that its chief executive officer, Juanita Pardesi, has been honoured with the South African CSI Legacy Award for Best Woman 2026. Presented at the 2026 South African CSI Legacy Awards, the award recognises her outstanding leadership and her contribution to creating sustainable social and economic change across South Africa.
Awards often celebrate achievement. The most meaningful ones celebrate influence. This recognition honours not only Pardesi’s accomplishments, but also a philosophy that has shaped Seriti Institute’s work for years – one rooted in the belief that sustainable development begins by investing in people’s potential. At a time when South Africa continues to seek lasting responses to unemployment, inequality and food insecurity, Pardesi’s approach offers a powerful example of what development can achieve when people are equipped with opportunity, skills and agency. Her leadership has consistently focused on creating the conditions for communities to build stronger, more resilient futures for themselves.
