GIYANI - One of the 24 outstanding finalists in the Shoprite Checkers/SABC 2 Woman of the Year award hails from the Limpopo province, where she has made a tremendous impact as a result of her work as a businesswoman.

Limpopo finalist, Nocky Chauke, has been nominated in the Business Entrepreneur category as a result of her communications and bakery businesses. Ms Chauke invested her last source of income in a public telephone business to give migrant labourers an opportunity to keep in touch with their families.

Her business has grown from one phone to 25, and branched out into a second venture that literally puts bread on the table of disadvantaged members of her community.

Ms Chauke launched a Butterfield Bakery Franchise to ensure that the members of her district would have healthy, quality and affordable bread and confectionery. Employing local people in all her business activities, Ms Chauke's generous spirit knows no boundaries and, firmly believing in sustainable entrepreneurship, she shares her business skills and knowledge with the people of the Giyani district in Limpopo.

Butterfield Bakery produces over 4 000 loaves of bread each day and Ms Chauke caters for between 20 and 30 villages in the area. Regarded as a beacon of hope and a down-to-earth member of her community, Ms Chauke's goal is to open additional branches of Butterfield Bakery.

The outstanding achievers in each of eight categories, as well as the overall winner of the Award, will be announced at a gala event in Cape Town on Thursday, 31 July 2003. The 24 finalists and the judges will be flown to Cape Town, courtesy of SAA, where they will be accommodated at Sun International's premier Table Bay Hotel.

The gala event for the Shoprite Checkers/SABC 2 Woman of the Year Award will be broadcast in an hour-long celebratory programme on SABC 2 at 21:00 on Saturday, 9 August 2003 – National Women's Day - and again on Sunday, 10 August 2003 at 10:00.