The organisers of the prestigious Southern African Lifting Awards are proud to announce that global heavy lifting and engineered transport specialist Sarens has officially joined the 2026 awards as the official table sponsor.
Hosted by Lifting Africa, the Southern African Lifting Awards have rapidly established themselves as one of the most influential recognition platforms for the lifting industry across Africa. Following a highly successful inaugural event in 2025, the 2026 edition is already attracting significant support from leading international and regional companies.
As one of the world’s largest and most respected lifting companies, Sarens’ involvement further elevates the stature and global credibility of the awards platform.
Sarens’ South African division, Sarens Siba, was among the standout 2025 winners at the inaugural awards ceremony, taking top honours in the fiercely contested Excellence in Engineering Award and Project of the Year Award categories. Building on that success and the overwhelmingly positive response from the industry, the company has reaffirmed its commitment to the event by participating as a sponsor while simultaneously preparing entries for the 2026 competition.
“Sarens Siba is proud to support the 2026 Southern African Lifting Awards and to continue contributing to a platform that recognises excellence, innovation, safety, and engineering capability across our industry. This sponsorship is also a way to recognise the dedication of our people, clients, and partners who make these complex projects possible,” says Tim Biesemans, Regional Director, Southern Africa.
“The support from a globally recognised company such as Sarens represents a major milestone for the Southern African Lifting Awards,” says Surita Marx, founder of the awards and managing director of Lifting Africa. “To see international industry leaders not only participating in the awards, but actively investing in the platform, highlights both the growth of the awards and the exceptional level of expertise within the Southern African lifting industry.”
Launched to celebrate excellence, innovation, safety, leadership, and engineering achievement, the Southern African Lifting Awards recognise companies and individuals across the lifting, rigging, crane, access, transport, and materials handling sectors. The platform has quickly become a benchmark for recognising world-class projects and operational excellence emerging from the African continent.
With operations spanning multiple continents and decades of expertise in crane rental, heavy lifting and engineered transport solutions, Sarens has built a global reputation for delivering some of the world’s most complex lifting projects across industries including energy, infrastructure, mining, petrochemical and renewable energy.
The 2026 Southern African Lifting Awards are expected to attract even greater participation from both regional and international organisations, building on the momentum created by the hugely successful debut event.
Strong Industry Support Continues to Grow
The organisers have also confirmed the return of several major industry supporters for the 2026 event.
Yoke Industrial Corp and RiConnect have once again committed their support, having served as Platinum Sponsors at the successful 2025 awards.
Electra Mining Africa has also renewed its involvement as an official sponsor, following its role as Photography Sponsor at the inaugural event.
In addition, Lifting Placements joins the growing list of sponsors supporting the 2026 awards programme.
The continued backing from respected international brands, industry suppliers and sector specialists reflects the growing importance of the Southern African Lifting Awards as a platform that celebrates excellence and advances the lifting industry across the region.
Companies interested in sponsorship opportunities, award entries or attending the event are encouraged to contact the organisers for further information.
For more information about the Southern African Lifting Awards, visit www.liftingawards.com or email info@liftingawards.co.za
