Jessica Greef from ZAG Gaming has been honored as the 2025 Mind Sports Person of the Year and the Esports Player of the Year.

The Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA) Management Board Awards are the most established honors for gaming in South Africa. They cover a wide range of activities, including board games, card games, esports, and wargames.

These awards, which began in 2009, could even be considered the longest-running in the world for recognizing athletes in these fields. Unlike awards like the BAFTAs that focus on the games themselves, MSSA’s awards celebrate the achievements of the players and athletes.

The MSSA Management Board Awards were created in 2009 to acknowledge excellence that wasn’t specifically covered by the MSSA’s official rules.

Looking at the past winners reminds us of MSSA’s significant history. These individuals are not just names; they are the men and women who have made a huge impact on mind sports in South Africa and even beyond its borders.

The awards now better reflect MSSA’s members, the work being done, and society as a whole.

It’s important to note that the categories for Writer of the Year, Social Media Person of the Year, and Sponsor of the Year are open to anyone who has dedicated themselves to developing board games, card games, esports, and wargames as sports.

The awards currently include the following categories:

• Mind Sports Person of the Year
• Board Gamer of the Year
• Esports Player of the Year
• Wargamer of the Year
• Team of the Year
• Volunteer of the Year
• Umpire of the Year
• Coach of the Year
• Educator of the Year
• Writer of the Year
• Social Media Person of the Year
• Sponsor of the Year

MSSA’s Management Board asks all members to send in their nominations by midnight on November 17, 2025.

You can see a list of past winners here:

Additional reading:

• 2025 Calendar of Events
• AEC24 – Champions of all of Africa – Protea Female Counter Strike 2 Esports Team wins AEC24
• AEC24 – Forged in battle – a Counter Strike story…
• Affiliation: Private Clubs
• Affiliation – Procedure to be followed by school clubs affiliating for the 2026 season.
• Awards – 2024 Management Board Awards
• Backgammon – South African Player Reaches World Championship Final in Monte Carlo
• Backgammon – Welcome home, Doron. You’ve inspired a nation!
• Blog – MSSA’s blog page is ranked 9th in South Africa!
• Board – Calling all volunteers.
• BRICS – Breaking the glass ceiling at 2025 BRICS Esports Championships – 31 May 2025
• BRICS – Final day of BRICS Esports Championships – 1 June 2025
• BRICS – Luay finishes in fifth place in his group.
• BRICS – MSSA National Team Trials for 2025 BRICS Esports Championships for TEKKEN 8 – 13 April 2025
• BRICS – Protea Luay Khan faces toughest matches in his life.
• BRICS – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken – 28 May 2025 to 3 June 2025.
• BRICS – Sydney ‘KYōi’ Wood wins both hearts and minds.
• BRICS – UNIFIR3 to stream 2025 BRICS Esports Championships on 31 May – 1 June 2025.
• BRICS – With cat-like tread…MSSA’s Protea Esports Team for Tekken 8 advances on the 2025 BRICS Esports Championships in Moscow.
• Colours 2024 – Almost half the awards are awarded to female gamers.
• Colours 2024 – Athletes who have earned Senior Provincial Colours in 2024
• Events – 6th WESTERN CAPE Online Championships – 22 February 2025
• Events – 24th WESTERN CAPE Championships – 31 May 2025
• Events – Last chance to qualify for BRICS Esports Championships – 14th Provincial Online Championships to be held on 5 April 2025.
• Events – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships – 25 January 2025.
• Events – Reminder: 5th S A Schools Online National Championships – 28 June 2025
• Events – Types of esports events run by MSSA.
• Fees: MSSA advises of its affiliation and registration fees for the 2024/2025 season.
• Hosting – Hosting official Regional Championships.
• IESF – AEC – African Regional Championships – Day 2 – Tuesday, 29 July 2025 at 17H00.
• IESF – AEC – AFRICAN REGIONAL PLAYOFFS START TODAY FOR MSSA
• IWSF – AEC – After an initial loss, SA beats Madagascar.
• IESF – AEC – Female Protea Team for the Counter Strike 2 esports title to do battle against Namibia – AEC25
• IESF – AEC – IESF’s African Regional Championships – FINAL RESULTS – Tuesday, 29 July 2025.
• IESF – AEC – Namibia crumbles!
• IESF – AEC – Rowell Pillay replaces Neisha Khan as captain of the female Protea MLBB esports team.
• IESF – AEC – South Africa conquers all in MLBB…
• IESF – AEC – South Africa granted victory with Namibia being disqualified!
• IESF – AEC – South Africa takes to the field in PUBGM on 28 July 2025 at 17H00.
• IESF – AEC – South Africa to battle both Namibia and Congo on 22 July 2025.
• IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Madagascar – 26 July 2025 at 14H00.
• IESF – AEC – South Africa vs Namibia – 25 July 2025 at 21H00.
• IESF – AEC – The goddess Nike smiles on – again!
• IESF – AEC – The Titans meet – South Africa vs Madagascar – 23 July 2023
• IESF – AEC – Victoria cum audacia! – South Africa wins!
• IESF – AEC – Victory over Madagascar – now on to Namibia!
• IESF – AEC – Victory without losses!
• IESF – AEC – WAYLANDER stream of IESF’s Southern African Regional Championships
• IESF – 136 Nations Registered for IESF 2025 World Esports Championships.
• IESF – IESF announces proposed game titles for 17th World Esports Championships to be held in 2025.
• IESF – IESF Official Statement on WEC24 Prize Pool Allocation
• IESF – MSSA CONFIRMS ITS ENTRY TO WEC25
• IESF – Official Game Titles for 2025 IESF WEC25
• IESF – SA Proteas to take on four African countries in MLBB – 12 April 2025
• IESF – SA Team Trials
• International events – After defeating Madagascar, SA’s Female Proteas to take on Mauritius and Ghana.
• International events – FHE eFootball World Tournament 2025 – Sign Up Now!
• International events – ReSF to host BRICS Esports Championship 2025 in Tekken
• International events – SOUTH AFRICA vs IVORY COAST in PUBGM title
• International events – TEST MATCH – SOUTH AFRICA vs MAURITIUS in MLBB title
• International events – Rose is no wilting bloom – the result of SA vs Mauritius.
• International events – SA Female Protea to take on Mauritius and Madagascar in MLBB – 1 May 2025
• International events – SA Female Team emerges triumphant!
• International events – SA Proteas march on to fight Mauritius in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 15H00
• International events – SA Proteas to take on Congo in MLBB on 13 April 2025 at 13H30
• International events – SA trounces Botswana in MLBB
• Legal – Privacy. Who is looking after the children?
• National Team Trials: Ensuring every athlete achieves their dreams.
• National Team Trials – MSSA events that count for National Team Trials for 17th IESF World Championships (WEC25)
• Nominations: Nominations required by midnight,19 November 2025 for MSSA’s Management Board Awards.
• Phygital: 2025 MSSA PHYGITAL EBASS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – 19 – 22 NOVEMBER 2025
• Readership: Member clubs are invited to post articles on MSSA’s blog.
• Results – Northern Cape Online Esports Provincial Championships held on 25 January 2025.
• Team Trials: To qualify for National Team Trials to represent South Africa.
• Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s Premier Provincial and National Championships – 2025.
• Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 High School and Primary School Championships and leagues.
• Titles – Esports titles selected for all MSSA’s 2025 Student Championships.
• Transfers: Transfer season – 1 November 2024 to 28 February 2025
• WADA – WADA’s 2025 Prohibited List and revised TDSS
• Jobs: Legal Counsel – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team (Brackley)
• Other news: Chess – From Georgia with Love – 2018 FIDE Chess Olympiad
• Chess – World Chess Olympiad in Batumi 2018 -n a book by Dr. Lyndon Boauh
• Western Cape – Table tennis rulebook now available in isiXhosa
• Other African News: Benin – Assemblée Générale Constitutive : la Fédération Béninoise des Sports Électroniques (FBSE) mis sous les fonts baptismaux
• Botswana – Botswana has an esports Federation