The North-West University (NWU) has been officially announced as the headline sponsor of the 2025 North West Media Awards, reaffirming its strong commitment to advancing journalism, communication, and community media in the province.
The awards, organised by Compassion Awards Foundation Investments (NPC) in partnership with NWU, recognise and celebrate excellence across print, broadcast, and digital media platforms in the North West. This year’s ceremony will take place on 05 December 2025 at the Rustenburg Civic Centre, and will be broadcast live on Platinum North West TV.
In a statement, the organisers said NWU’s partnership marks a significant milestone in strengthening collaboration between academia and the media industry.
“The support of the North-West University brings credibility, depth, and sustainability to the awards. It also reinforces our shared mission to empower community media through research, training, and recognition,” said the North West Media Awards Organising Committee.
As part of this partnership, the university will also be represented on the judging panel. The organisers announced that Mr. Ofentse Ngake, a Journalism and Media Studies lecturer in NWU’s School of Communication, has joined the 2025 panel of judges. Judging will run from 01 November to 30 November 2025, ahead of the main awards ceremony in December.
Mr. Ngake, who brings a blend of academic and professional expertise, is known for his work in media and social change, indigenous language media, and journalism studies. He is also a member of the Indigenous Language Media in Africa (ILMA) research focus area and serves on the NWU-FM board, where he champions the growth of student and community media.
An accomplished scholar, Ngake co-authored a chapter in the renowned publication 100 Years of Radio in South Africa and has presented his research at various national and international conferences. He supervises postgraduate students specialising in investigative journalism, lifestyle journalism, and radio education programming.
Currently pursuing his PhD at NWU, Ngake is also an active member of the South African Communications Association (SACOMM) and the Southern African Communication Industries Association (SACIA).
The organisers say his inclusion on the panel enhances the credibility, fairness, and academic integrity of the judging process.
“The addition of Mr. Ngake strengthens the calibre of our panel and reflects our commitment to a rigorous, transparent judging process,” the committee added.
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