Rising Star
Rising Star (operated by BlackBark Productions) runs the annual TransUnion Rising Star Awards, recognising South African professionals under 40 across 12 industry categories via a three-phase judging process and year-round alumni programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Rising Star does
Rising Star is an annual awards programme operated by BlackBark Productions, a privately-held South African company founded in 2010 by Laura Barker and headquartered in Cape Town. Its core product, the TransUnion Rising Star Awards, identifies and recognises exceptional young professionals under 40 years of age across 12 industry categories in South Africa, including Banking & Financial Services, Energy & Environment, ICT, Manufacturing, Mining, and Professional Services. The programme uses a three-phase selection process — questionnaire assessment, video interview, and in-person panel interview — judged by over 70 senior executives drawn from major South African corporates annually, with judging criteria covering vision/innovation, passion/impact, responsible engagement, agility including digital transformation, and systems thinking.
The business model is event-driven, monetising primarily through multi-tier corporate sponsorship (Flagship, Gold, Category, Silver, Travel, Media), culminating in an annual Gala Dinner. Approximately 60 finalists (5 per category) form the Rising Star Network each year, with senior sponsors such as TransUnion (headline), Accenture, Sage, Absa, BMW, Zutari, MTN, Glencore, Tiger Brands, DHL Express, News24, SAA, Mondelēz, Momentum Metropolitan, ENGIE, Exxaro, Massmart, Rand Refinery, Gautrain Management Agency, Golden Key, Engagement Dynamics and Hello Coach participating. Pricing for nominations or participation is not publicly disclosed. Adjacent products include the Leadership Conversations Webinar Series (CEO/MD interviews with mentorship offerings), and sister programmes GradStar (9th year) and Schools Star (2nd year), broadening the talent pipeline.
Go-to-market relies on a website-driven nomination portal, direct email outreach to corporate HR contacts and alumni, earned media (Mail & Guardian, News24), and referral through corporate sponsors who promote the programme internally. The company operates as a domestic, single-geography business in South Africa, is privately held with no disclosed institutional funding, and is founder-controlled.
Rising Star firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Rising Star
- Legal name
- BlackBark Productions
- Website
- https://awards.risingstar.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Rising Star (operated by BlackBark Productions) runs the annual TransUnion Rising Star Awards, recognising South African professionals under 40 across 12 industry categories via a three-phase judging process and year-round alumni programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Rising Star industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Talent Recognition and Leadership Awards
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events (MPAGAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB), Gala Dinners & Fundraising Events (Nonprofit/CSR) (MPAGAHAE)
Keywords
Where Rising Star is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Rising Star business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Others
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Rising Star product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Rising Star operates an annual awards programme that identifies and recognises exceptional young professionals under 40 years of age across 12 industry categories in South Africa. The programme uses a multi-phase judging process (questionnaire, video interview, in-person panel) involving 70+ judges from major South African corporates, culminating in a Gala Dinner celebration and the formation of a 60-person Rising Star Network. Sponsorship revenue from headline sponsor TransUnion and other corporate partners (Accenture, BMW, Sage, Absa, MTN, etc.) funds the programme.
Product overview
Rising Star is an awards programme operated by BlackBark Productions that recognises, celebrates and connects young talented professionals in South Africa. The core offering is the TransUnion Rising Star Awards, an annual programme that identifies outstanding young leaders under 40 years of age across 12 industry categories. The programme also includes a Leadership Conversations Webinar Series, a webcast platform interviewing CEOs and MDs to provide guidance for future leaders. These products work together to create a comprehensive ecosystem for identifying, celebrating, and developing South Africa's future leadership talent.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- TransUnion Rising Star Awards Annual awards programme recognising the most talented young professionals across South Africa in 12 distinct industry categories, bringing together over 70 judges each year to identify emerging leaders under 40 years of age through a three-phase judging process (questionnaire assessment, video interview, in-person panel) culminating in a Gala Dinner and formation of the 60-person Rising Star Network.
- Rising Star Programme The overarching programme operated by BlackBark Productions that recognises, celebrates, and connects young talented people who have a capacity for achievement and contribute inspiringly to the future of South Africa, establishing a living community of young African talent for development, mentorship, and communication across 12 industry categories.
- Leadership Conversations Webinar Series
Quantifiable outcome
- 60 finalists annually form the Rising Star Network
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Rising Star
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Rising Star technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Rising Star partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- TransUnionflagshipTransUnion serves as the Headline Sponsor of the Rising Star Awards, with category sponsorship for Banking & Financial Services. The partnership provides major funding and branding association with the program.
- AccenturecoreAccenture sponsors the Professional Services category and provides judges for the selection process. Supports the program's mission to develop future South African business leaders.
- SagecoreSage sponsors the Entrepreneur category and provides judges including PJ Bishop, Vice President of Partners, Alliances and Accountants.
- AbsacoreAbsa sponsors the Energy & Environment category, supporting recognition of emerging leaders in this sector.
- BMWcoreBMW serves as a Gold Sponsor and provides judges from their South African operations. Many BMW employees have been finalists and winners in the program.
- Gautrain Management AgencyminorGautrain supports the program as a sponsor and provides judges from their leadership team.
- ENGIEminorENGIE South Africa sponsors the program and provides judges for the Energy & Environment category.
- MTNminorMTN South Africa supports the program as a sponsor with visibility in the ICT and technology categories.
- GlencoreminorGlencore sponsors the program and provides judges from their South African mining operations.
- Tiger BrandsminorTiger Brands supports the program with sponsorship and provides judges for Manufacturing and FMCG categories.
- DHL ExpressminorDHL Express provides Travel Partner sponsorship and judges for Transport, Logistics & Security category.
- News24minorNews24 serves as Media Partner, providing editorial coverage and visibility for the awards.
- South African Airways (SAA)minorSAA serves as Travel Partner, providing flight support for the awards program.
- Rand RefineryminorRand Refinery supports the program and provides judges from their Mining & Minerals expertise.
- Mondelēz InternationalminorMondelēz International provides Gold sponsorship and judges for Manufacturing categories.
- Momentum MetropolitanminorMomentum Metropolitan provides judging venue partnership and judges from their leadership team.
- ExxarominorExxaro serves as Silver Sponsor and provides judges for Energy & Environment categories.
- MassmartminorMassmart provides Silver sponsorship and judges from their retail and wholesale operations.
- Golden Key International Honour SocietyminorGolden Key serves as a partner organization, providing judges and professional development support.
- Engagement DynamicsminorEngagement Dynamics, led by MD Janet du Preez, serves as partner and provides advisory committee members.
- Hello CoachminorHello Coach serves as Training Partner, providing prize sponsorship and development resources.
- ZutaricoreZutari sponsors the Service: Public & Private category and provides judges including CEO Percy Moleke.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Rising Star competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Destiny Man Young Leaders: South African recognition platform celebrating young leaders and professionals. Comparable in audience, geography and corporate-sponsorship model, with overlapping target nominees and similar event-driven format.
- CNBC Africa All Africa Awards: Pan-African awards platform recognizing leaders and businesses across the continent. Comparable in event-driven format, sector categories and corporate sponsorship base, though broader in geographic scope.
- World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders: WEF program recognizing exceptional young leaders globally. Comparable in age-bracketed recognition, rigorous multi-phase selection, and corporate/Fortune-500 sponsor engagement, but with a global rather than single-country footprint.
- Standard Bank Rising Star Award: Banking-sponsored recognition of young achievers in South Africa. Comparable in age targeting, sector focus on finance/leadership and reliance on a headline corporate sponsor to fund awards activities.
- Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans: Annual recognition of 200 young South Africans across sectors. Closely comparable to Rising Star in terms of demographic targeting, sector categories, single-country scope and earned-media-driven awards model.
- GradStar: Graduate-level talent recognition program run by the same operator (BlackBark Productions). Most directly comparable as a sister brand under the same management, targeting a younger cohort but using a near-identical awards-and-sponsorship model.
- Forbes Africa 30 Under 30: Annual recognition list for young African professionals and entrepreneurs. Directly comparable as a pan-African, age-bracketed awards program targeting emerging leaders and reliant on media-driven brand and corporate sponsorship.
- One Young World: Global summit and recognition platform for young leaders from over 190 countries. Comparable in identifying and convening under-40 leaders, though operates as an international summit rather than a country-specific awards program.
Emerging players
- African Leadership Network: Pan-African community and recognition platform for emerging African leaders. Comparable in mission and audience (next-generation African leaders), though focused on community-building events rather than a structured annual awards program.
Broad incumbents
- EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year: Global corporate-sponsored awards program recognizing entrepreneurial leaders. Comparable in event-driven awards format and blue-chip sponsorship model, but broader in age criteria and global in scope rather than country-specific.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Rising Star social profiles
Digital presenceRising Star financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Rising Star leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Rising Star funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Rising Star M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Rising Star
What does Rising Star do?
Rising Star operates an annual awards programme that identifies and recognises exceptional young professionals under 40 years of age across 12 industry categories in South Africa. The programme uses a multi-phase judging process (questionnaire, video interview, in-person panel) involving 70+ judges from major South African corporates, culminating in a Gala Dinner celebration and the formation of a 60-person Rising Star Network. Sponsorship revenue from headline sponsor TransUnion and other corporate partners (Accenture, BMW, Sage, Absa, MTN, etc.) funds the programme.
Is Rising Star a public or private company?
Rising Star is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Rising Star founded?
Rising Star was founded in 2012. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Rising Star based?
Rising Star is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
Who are Rising Star's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Destiny Man Young Leaders, CNBC Africa All Africa Awards, World Economic Forum Young Global Leaders, Standard Bank Rising Star Award, Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans, GradStar, Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 and One Young World. African Leadership Network is listed as an emerging player. EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Rising Star have an API?
No public API is recorded for Rising Star.
What industry is Rising Star in?
Rising Star's product category is Talent Recognition and Leadership Awards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAHAF, Awards Ceremonies & Recognition Events, with a secondary code of MPAGAGAB, Professional & Association Conferences. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 2741.