Bulelwa Bassie shines at the 10th Annual Service Excellence Awards

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The streets of Langa are buzzing with pride as local poet, social commentator, entrepreneur, and voice-over artist Bulelwa Bassie has clinched the coveted 10th Annual Service Excellence Award for Best Performance by an Individual Citizen in South Africa.

This recognition is not just a personal triumph for Ms Bassie; it serves as a celebration of dedicated community development work that often goes unrecognised.

In winning this award, she expressed that it has been a proud moment for her and her community of Langa.

“If you were to ask me what my greatest accomplishment is, my response would be to live a life purposeful in the things that ground me enough to positively impact others in the ecosystem that is the human race,” she said.

She added: “Using my innate gift of words, I have been granted the blessing of reaching beyond the borders of South Africa, relaying the African narrative in Europe and Asia. Earlier in July this year, I found myself in a recording studio lending my voice as Mama Sarah Baartman for the London Museum, as a narrative constellation to words written by fellow sister-poet, Dzifa Benson,” she said.

She attributed her win to the people she works with and her own hard work. Winning such an accolade is an honour for her. Ms Bassie said that she is using the award to highlight the common thread of her work, which lies in the power of words.

“I am living my greatest purpose, defying the things I never wish to become, channelling my deepest desires, and manifesting everything that is life-giving. And with all that said, at the heart of it all, I give gratitude to the force that bestowed these vast inner gifts within me. I give thanks to the platforms and communities that have welcomed me into their space to demonstrate the beauty of diversity, and to those who offer awards in recognition of the weight of the work, for it is priceless, much like its conduit,” she said.

Ms Bassie believes that winning the award acknowledges the hard work that goes into community development work, which is often taken for granted by those who do not fully understand the depth of its societal impact.