CANSA CEO wins award

ACTING CEO and COO of the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), Elize Joubert, won two awards in the 2015 Africa’s Most Influential Women (MIW) in Business and Government Awards on Tuesday 28 July.

Elize was the country winner for South Africa, and winner for the SADC South Region in the Welfare and Civil Society Organisations category.

The MIW has developed in standing over the past few years to become a prominent part of the South African and African business calendar, which allows for the recognition and celebration of women in business. The MIW award recognises women in various sectors who are making a positive impact within their organisation, sector and country.

“I’m highly honoured to receive this recognition and pledge my on-going commitment to health and social issues for the good of our communities. My reward is indeed the development of the communities themselves through the help and support of organisations like CANSA,” said Joubert.

Elize graduated cum laude from the University of Pretoria with her BA in Social Work, in 1984. Beginning her career in CANSA as CANSA’s provincial head of the Free State and Northern Cape in 1990, she moved on to become the provincial director of CANSA, and is now the chief operations officer, as well as the acting chief executive officer at CANSA.

In her career with CANSA, she has represented it at the first, second, fourth and seventh International Conferences for Cancer Organisations held around the globe. She hosted the first International Union Against Cancer Conference in Africa in 1999 that drew attendants from 13 countries. As a board member in both the South African Non-Communicable Diseases Alliance and the Cancer Alliance, she has influence over both the national and international cancer and non-communicable disease agenda setting.

Elize, along with other Africa regional winners, will be in line for the Continental Awards later this year.