Antionette was named ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 2010’ by FASA and recognised by Standard Bank as one of the top 20 Women Franchisors in South Africa.

She is the author of her book, Lighting Up Language the Active English Way, which has sold over 5000 copies and is used by schools across Gauteng.

Latest achievement: In July 2023 Antionette was announced the Winner of the ‘Freedom Trophy’ awarded by the Golden Triangle Chamber of Commerce. The Freedom Trophy is awarded to an identity that has an impact and creates growth in the Vaal Triangle. They contribute towards the development of skills, education, and advice that leads to the enrichment of our entire region.

Active English was chosen to be part of a doctoral thesis. Manuela Fernandes-Martin’s PhD degree research proposal was approved and under the supervision of Professor Susan Coetzee-Van Rooy she completed her degree in 2017. Professor Susan is a National Research Foundation (NRF) rated researcher and one of her areas of specialization is Applied Linguistics: English as a Second Language.

Promoter Professor Susan Coetzee-Van Rooy had this to say at Manuela’s graduation ceremony: “One of the main findings from the study is that enterprises like Active English hold the potential to enrich the teaching of English in the public school system if efforts are made by the policy-makers in government and the entrepreneurs of the private sector to broaden access to these programmes for school learners.

Commendations identified in the Active English programme.

The Active English programme deserves a commendation. In particular, the Phono-visual charts for learning phonics and developing reading proficiency should be mentioned as strengths of the programme. Active English has contributed to the development of language skills and enriched the learning experiences of the participating children enrolled in the language programme. In addition, the programme has contributed to the increased literacy development of the Grade 3 and Grade 4 participating learner groups that will impact their performance at school. However, the researcher considers that only learners who have access to the Active English programme and are enrolled benefit from the continues participation in the learning activities and being exposed to the learning materials that facilitate the learning of English as a second language.