The countdown to the annual national Batho Pele and Innovation awards rooted in recognising dedicated public servants who go and extra mile in serving South Africans guided by the Batho Pele principles which emphasize putting people first has begun.
Nominations and entries for the 2026/27 glittering public servants recognition awards officially opened on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
The organisers of the annual awards ceremony-The Department of Public Service and Administration (DPSA) and the Centre for Public Service Innovation (CPSI) are urging citizens, public servants, government institutions to nominate public servants who are exemplifying the Batho Pele ethos by enhancing public service performance through accelerating quality services to citizens.
The awards recognise excellence, professionalism, innovation and dedication across the public service, and come as government intensifies efforts to professionalise the public service, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government services and rebuild public trust in the institutions of the state.
DPSA’s Acting Director-General, Mr Willie Vukela is appealing to South Africans to nominate public servants who are making tangible, valuable impact in accelerating essential quality services to citizens.
“Excellence and innovation in the Public Service is not something that only happens in government offices in Pretoria. It happens in our townships, villages, cities and small towns every single day.
“It is the nurse at a clinic in uLundi who knows her patients by name; the teacher in Seshego who stays behind to help a learner; the official who makes sure an elderly person does not leave without being assisted. They are your mother, your uncle, your neighbour or your former teacher.
“Innovation is defined here as the process of transforming an idea into a new or improved product, service, process or approach which fulfils the mandate of government and enhances service delivery,” he said.
Mr Vukela said recognising public servants is also about changing the narrative of the public service.
“We want their stories to travel beyond the communities in which they serve. A young public servant entering government must see what excellence looks like and know that this is the standard we expect. When we recognise those who serve with compassion, professionalism and integrity, we are not simply giving out awards; we are helping build the Public Service that South Africans deserve,” he said.
CPSI Acting Executive Director, Mr Pierre Schoonraad said the awards function as a mechanism for surfacing solutions that can be replicated elsewhere in the country.
“A solution developed, or excellence demonstrated in one clinic, one district or one municipality should not stay there. Our interest is not only in celebrating, but in ensuring that what demonstrably works in one part of the country is documented, shared and put to work in another,” he said.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Service Excellence
• Best Front-Line Service Delivery Employee of the Year
• Best Public Service Leader (Senior Manager) of the Year
• Best Service Delivery Institution/Department
• Best Implemented Project of the Year
Public Sector Innovation
• Replication and Adaptation of Innovative Solutions
• Citizen-focussed Innovations harnessing non-ICT solutions
• Service delivery innovations harnessing technology
• Internal Innovations harnessing ICT or non-ICT solutions
Ministerial Awards are conferred at the discretion of the Minister for the Public Service and Administration.
Nominations and Entries Procedure
To submit both the nominations and entries, the public, public servants should complete the official nomination and entries forms online at https://cpsiregistrations.co.za.
Nominations and entries are now officially open and will close on 30 October 2026.Assessment and adjudication will follow, culminating in the National Batho Pele and Innovation Awards prestigious awards event in February 2027.
