The Future of HR Awards is South Africa’s premier annual event recognising and celebrating excellence in human capital management, HR innovation and HR technology. Kabelo Ncholo, the founder and CEO of Y-Brand, was named HR Leader of the Year at the Future of HR Awards Ceremony on 23 October 2025.
Now in its 10th year, the awards have become the benchmark for HR excellence and honour the most exceptional, inspiring and effective leaders in the HR industry. Focused on innovation in leadership, talent, and the future of work, these awards align perfectly with Y-Brand’s evolution and people-first strategy.
Ncholo was handed the HR Leader of the Year Award highlighting his accomplished, innovative leadership of Y-Brand’s HR team. At the helm of the organisation, he has demonstrated a track record of excellence in managing HR functions and employee engagement, ensuring to strengthen the company’s organisational framework to align with best-practice HR policies and industry standards.
He leads a high-performance HR function that attracts top talent and which drives initiatives that improve morale, teamwork and workplace satisfaction, while inspiring staff to perform at their best. Through his exceptional management, Y-Brand’s HR Department has implemented innovative approaches to recruitment, retention, and succession planning and executed HR strategies that have improved business performance.
Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Ncholo said: ‘We believe that the most valuable asset of a business is every employee that makes up the business. We strive to create a psychologically safe work environment that encourages opportunity and promotes diversity. To be a leader is to lead the people. You can really appreciate yourself as a leader when you see the people you lead excelling.’
Boitumelo Moahloli, Y-Brand’s Head of Corporate Services, says she is proud to see Ncholo recognised as HR Leader of the Year and that it is an honour that is well deserved. ‘This achievement is a true reflection of his visionary leadership and the example he sets by leading from the front, fostering accountability, and continuously inspiring us to grow and do better,’ she said. ‘It is a privilege to work with a leader who not only drives results but genuinely champions people, growth and purpose.’
Boitumelo added that Y-Brand believes that the true measure of success is not only in financial performance, but in creating an environment where employees thrive, feel valued, and are inspired to contribute their best every day. ‘We have built a workplace culture that is rooted in belonging, empowerment and collaboration; one that is high-performing and deeply human,’ she said.
Y-BRAND
https://ybrand.co.za
