Current titlebearer 2025

Soomaya Mall, South Africa’s PA of the Year 2025

South Africa’s new PA of the Year™, Soomaya Mall, is from Nedbank Private Wealth

Soomaya Mall, Executive Assistant to the Managing Executive at Nedbank Private Wealth, was awarded the prestigious title of SA’s PA of the Year™ 2025 during PAFSA’s annual PA Summit and PA of the Year Award™ organised by the Professional Association for Secretaries and Administrative Professionals of South Africa (PAFSA), held at the Montecasino Ballroom, Montecasino Boulevard, Fourways, Johannesburg on 3 September 2025.

From nominations to finals, the journey has been one of excellence, dedication, and heart. Soomaya embodies the professionalism, resilience, and leadership that lie at the very core of the PA and EA profession. In her Career Success Magazine feature, she highlights that excellence is not only about managing tasks, it is about being steady under pressure, creating solutions, and leading with emotional intelligence.

On receiving the title Soomaya said: “Excellence is not about managing tasks. It is about being the calm in the storm, creating solutions, and leading with emotional intelligence.”

Soomaya also speaks powerfully about the role of the modern PA as a strategic partner and encourages those entering the profession to lead with curiosity and humility, build trust, ask questions, and always seek to understand the bigger picture. When asked about legacy, she shares her hope to empower others and help elevate the profession as a career of choice, while lifting those around her.

Congratulations to Soomaya, to the finalists, semi-finalists, and every nominee, you are the heartbeat of organisations across South Africa.

In South Africa, the PA of the Year Award clearly sets standards, raises standards and elevates the excellence bar of the secretarial and administrative profession.