Panellists announced to adjudicate entries from South Africa in international Defender Awards
Ross Holgate, Ivy Wairimu and Bryan Habana will participate in choosing the finalists from South Africa who will take part in the inaugural Defender Awards
Defender is proud to announce the three panelists who have been selected to adjudicate entries and choose the finalists from South Africa in the international Defender Awards. The trio of Ross Holgate of the Kingsley Holgate Foundation, Ivy Wairimu from Tusk, and Bryan Habana, Springbok legend and founder of the Bryan Habana Foundation, will join an international panel of experts who will also offer mentorship to the winning organisations or individuals, including the winner who will be selected from South Africa.
Launched this year, the inaugural Defender Awards initiative aims to celebrate and support conservation and humanitarian heroes around the world through a £1m programme that will see the brand extend its unwavering support for conservation and humanitarian causes.
Janico Dannhauser, Brand Manager, Defender, said:
“Defender is renowned for forging enduring relationships with various organisations that exist for the primary goal of advancing the betterment of the world through humanitarian and conservation causes. We have also established lasting relationships through brand partnerships and ambassador agreements, including our partnerships with the Kingsley Holgate Foundation, Tusk, and Bryan Habana, who share the same values and determination to help advance humanity and protect the natural environment. Through the Defender Awards, we are able to bring these areas together in an initiative that ultimately benefits humanity and nature.”
Operations leader, and mapping and navigation expert for the Kingsley Holgate Foundation, Ross Holgate is part of a collective that embodies the concept of using adventure to improve and save lives. Through its expeditions, the Kingsley Holgate Foundation actively works to prevent the spread of malaria in vulnerable communities. The organisation also helps with the distribution of reading glasses to poor-sighted - mostly elderly - individuals in remote regions, curbing the spread of water-borne diseases and providing potable water to drought-stricken communities.
Ivy Wairimu is the Head of Conservation Partnerships at Tusk, an organisation that supports progressive conservation interventions in Africa aimed at preventing poaching, habitat loss and human-wildlife conflict. For 20 years, Defender has partnered with Tusk through vehicle support and grant funding.
Springbok legend and Defender ambassador Bryan Habana is the founder of the Bryan Habana Foundation, through which the Rugby World Cup winner channels the values and experiences he learned playing professional sport to inspire the next generation of young South Africans. The foundation helps transform individuals and societies by giving them a sense of empowerment and inspiration and creating a legacy that lasts through generations. Habana is also the chairman of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa, which mobilises its patrons and partners to help social projects that use sport as a tool for social change.
Holgate, Wairimu and Habana will select the winner from among entrants who are active in one of four fields:
- Defenders of the Wild – protecting endangered and at-risk species
- Defenders of Humanity – supporting vulnerable communities
- Defenders of the Land – protecting and restoring the most precious and fragile places on earth
- Defenders of the Sea – protecting marine species and environments
The Defender Awards will recognise and reward seven winners drawn from South Africa, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan. Winning entrants will each receive a £100,000 bursary, a tough and capable Defender to help support vital, front-line work in hard-to-reach locations, and mentoring support from a community of experts.
Entries can be submitted from 28 April 2025, with one entry per participant. The closing date for entries is 16 June 2025.
