From left: Simon Manda (Valhalla Arts), Dorah-Tlala-Tanor, Kamogelo Mokeke, Bongani Ngcongo and Lebo Phihlela
Gymnast and North-West Sportswoman of the Year honoured at the TRIBUTES EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2025, lands full
Proconics bursary—the 1st non-engineering recipient in the company’s history
JOHANNESBURG — Kamogele Mokeke had been told that good news was on its way. But when the first-year Public Management student sat down with the Proconics leadership team on the morning of 11th March 2026 and heard the full picture—a complete bursary covering tuition, accommodation, and monthly upkeep—the reality of it still stopped her in her tracks. Hearing it confirmed, in full, by one of South Africa’s leading engineering groups, was something else entirely.
The announcement marks a significant milestone for Proconics, an engineering-focused company that has traditionally directed its bursary programme exclusively toward engineering students. Mokeke is the first recipient in the company’s history to receive a full bursary outside
of that academic discipline—and the decision was deliberate.
“This was not a small decision for us,” said Mrs. Dorah Tlala-Tanor, Proconics Group Chief Human Resources Officer. “We are an engineering company, and our bursaries have always reflected that focus. But when we encountered Kamogele—her resilience, her sporting excellence, her background—we knew we were looking at something special. Sports and education are pillars of our CSI vision, and she embodies both. She is the first person we are deviating for, and we are proud to take that step.”
Mokeke, who hails from Zeerust in the North West province, is a gymnast of extraordinary courage. On 4 April 2017, at just 11 years old, she was training on the trampoline when she injured her left leg. After being moved through three hospitals over four days, she woke up to find her left leg had been amputated above the knee.
She was in Grade 6. Rather than surrender her love of sport, she rebuilt from scratch — returning to gymnastics, competing at the Gymnastics SA National Championships alongside mainstream athletes, and earning a silver medal at the SA Gym Games in 2021 at Level 4.
In March 2022, she was awarded the North West Sportswoman of the Year with a Disability award at the North West Sports Recognition Awards, held at Sun City — an accolade presented by the North-West Department of Arts, Culture, Sport and Recreation. Her eyes, she has said, remain fixed on the Paralympic Games.
Her story caught the attention of the Proconics leadership team at the TRIBUTES Excellence Awards 2025, held in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, last November. The TRIBUTES Excellence Awards, hosted by Valhalla Arts, honoured 15 women with disabilities across various categories, with Mokeke among those specifically recognised in the Sports Excellence category. Proconics Group CFO Bongani Ngcongo and CSI Manager Lebo Phlela, together with Tlala-Tanor, attended the evening and had the opportunity to meet the honourees in person.
“The TRIBUTES Excellence Awards exist precisely for moments like this,” said Musa E. Zulu, founder of Valhalla Arts and curator of the awards. “Our purpose is not only to celebrate women with disabilities for one evening and then leave them where we found them. We want the recognition to open real doors, year after year. Kamogele’s journey from the TRIBUTES stage to a full corporate bursary is exactly the kind of legacy we set out to build. We are deeply grateful to Proconics for seeing what we saw in her, and we look forward to working alongside them in future ventures that amplify the stories of our people.”
Valhalla Arts spokesperson Simon Manda, who was also present at Wednesday’s announcement, will take on a mentorship role for Mokeke, bridging the relationship between Valhalla Arts and Proconics as she settles into this new chapter.
“Kamogele has been in the right rooms, but now she has the right resources to back the grind,” said Manda. “My role is to make sure she never feels alone in navigating corporate South Africa, and to ensure the bond between Valhalla Arts and Proconics grows into something sustainable – not just a once-off handshake, but a genuine partnership in the advancement of disabled talent in this country.”
Proconics Group CFO Bongani Ngcongo, who was instrumental in confirming the bursary alongside the HR office, put the responsibility squarely back on Mokeke’s shoulders—in the most encouraging way possible.
“We have taken the financial pain away,” said Ngcongo. “The fees, the accommodation, the upkeep — that is covered. What remains is for Kamogele to define her win and go and get it. I run marathons, and the one lesson I carry is that you must set your goal before you start. If she did that—academically, in sports, and in life—she’d have won. ”
The TRIBUTES Excellence Awards, now in their 15th year, are curated by Valhalla Arts to recognise and amplify the achievements of women and girls with disabilities across South Africa. The TRIBUTES Excellence awards have grown into a nationally recognised platform that does more than honour—they connect, inspire, and as Wednesday’s news proved, they open doors that many recipients never imagined possible.
For Kamogele Mokeke, this Good Wednesday on the 11th March was just the beginning.
