The M&G’s Power of Women awards 2024 keynote address was given by Luna Nevhutalu Sanlam’s structured solutions chief executive
Zerish Zethu Nkosi is a professor at Unisa and the executive dean of the college of human sciences, where she is responsible for the strategic leadership of the institute. She is passionate about teaching and learning, and has focused much of her time and energy on mentoring young academics and providing students with support. She […]
Bokang Rapatsa is the founder of Bokang’s Learning Academy and Bokang’s Reading Club. Bokang, who has a qualification in early childhood development, started the organisations in Moletji Makgodu, the Limpopo village where she grew up. She helps children with homework, assignments, projects, reading and writing, and also provides behavioural, social and emotional support. She assists […]
Clinical sociologist Mariam Seedat-Khan is an academic and author specialising in clinical and applied sociology. Her career is marked by a commitment to advancing knowledge and fostering social change through research and scholarly contributions. One of her most notable works is Women and Covid-19: A Clinical and Applied Sociological Focus on Family, Work and Community, […]
As a teacher at Cape Town High School, Adell Grobler is committed to the development and success of her pupils. With more than 30 years of teaching experience, she is head of the geography department, teaches English and has been an external geography marker for matriculants for 13 years. Adell has also contributed by arranging […]
Nofezile Special Care Centre started in the backyard of Abongile Menye near Qonce ( formerly King Williams Town) in the Eastern Cape. She was taking care of one of her siblings with intellectual disabilities in a small room, then other parents became interested, and she ended up taking care of seven children with special needs. […]
Pauline Mokae has been taking care of those who need help since 2008. She started with a soup kitchen, using money from her own pocket. Following that, she ran a safe home and an aftercare centre. Today she is the founder and director of Wheatlands Community Care for the Aged in Randfontein, Johannesburg. Pauline says […]
Caroline Tiba is the founder and director of the Rotanganedza Community Care in the West Rand and more recently in Limpopo. She is from the rural area of Brandvlei in the Karoo region. When she was in her teens, she experienced epileptic seizures. Soon after that, she had a stroke. But she is a fighter […]
Lerato Thekiso is an attorney and entrepreneur. She runs a legal advisory commercial law consultancy. In addition, she founded the Unleashed Leadership Development Foundation. Its programmes include CareerLink, which brings together unemployed people aged 18 to 35 to provide them with mentoring, bursaries and the opportunity of work. Another programme is Refuelling Leaders, a platform […]
Tracey Davies is the executive director of nonprofit shareholder activism organisation Just Share, which is at the cutting edge of corporate accountability in South Africa, using responsible investment and sustainable finance to drive action to combat climate change and reduce inequality. Just Share was established in 2017 in recognition that no one was focusing on […]
Lipalesa Morake is the director of Africa youth development at Global Citizen. She is responsible for managing youth activities that provide direct services and complement the organisation’s goal to double down on Africa building on what has been achieved in South Africa with Mandela 100; Nigeria with Global Citizen Live; and last year in Ghana […]
Annlin Matabane is the founder and director of Reach Archaeology Consulting, a company specialising in the management, preservation and conservation of heritage assets, specifically human remains, burial grounds and living-heritage spaces. Annlin combines this with her passion for the intangible aspects associated with ritual and customary practices. She assists communities, individuals, institutions and developers in […]
There’s a goal that gets Victoria Elias out of bed each morning: to help South Africans get out of debt and take charge of their financial futures. She’s a certified business accountant with close to a decade of global experience in personal finance coaching and accounting consulting, and she’s founded and runs Smart Money With […]
With more than 20 years of experience in the fast-moving consumer goods sector, Vanessa Ikin is chief people officer at The Beverage Company (Varun Beverages Limited). Her role involves steering the development and implementation of HR strategies that align with the company’s business objectives, with a focus on enhancing organisational capability, creating a positive workplace […]
Yandisa Hene is the founder and managing director of Yanda Growth Consulting, an agency that partners with corporates and government agencies to develop innovative solutions. The team has worked with leading brands such as Kellogg’s, KIWI and The Innovation Hub. Kellogg’s won the Nielsen Breakthrough Innovation Award for three projects led by Yanda Consulting and […]
Entrepreneur and change catalyst Lindokuhle Mnguni is the founder and director of Muuttua Water, a company that provides quality drinking water, creating job opportunities. Her inspiration came from an article she read in 2021, which highlighted the severe water scarcity South Africa could face by 2025 if it does not implement the right infrastructure and […]
Bonolo Smith is the founder of Meet the Women: Afrika, which empowers young African women through coaching, mentorship, tools, content and masterclasses. Since its inception, it has reached more than 5 000 women, continuing to amplify the efforts of young women in building Africa and promoting the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). She is […]
As founder and director of PS Debt Management, Paulvia Shiburi assists consumers who are overwhelmed by debt. The company offers a programme designed to get them out of arrears and to start a new journey of financial freedom. “I have been over-indebted and it affected every area of my life for the worse,” she says. […]
Zen Dlamini is a corporate and investment banking (CIB) executive for head infrastructure and public sector at Standard Bank Group South Africa. She is responsible for strategy working with large corporations, multinationals and the government across segments including security operations centres, regulators and policymakers, and strives to promote partnerships between the public and private sectors […]
Growing up in a poverty-stricken home in the dusty streets of Mamelodi in Tshwane, Tryphosa Ramano made it her mission to be a catalyst for change, particularly for women and the youth. She started by heeding the advice of her late grandmother, who said that education is an equaliser, and studied to become a chartered […]
Shabhana Thaver has been the chief information officer at Investec Specialist Bank South Africa since 2019. She leads teams that work in partnership across businesses to drive innovation and technological transformation in the bank. She began her career as a software developer, which originated from her love of maths and computer science in high school, […]
As head of strategic communications and PR at African Bank, Mika Chauke has strategically worked to ensure the bank is recognised as a formidable brand and competitor within the financial services and banking industry sector. Mika spearheads communications to ensure the relevance of the bank in South Africa and change the perception of it. Her job […]
Lenina Rassool is a journalist who produces and presents The Womxn Show, a pioneering platform that delves into, and challenges, issues surrounding gender justice and women’s rights. Recognising a gap in mainstream media, Lenina created a space where gender-based violence (GBV) victims can gain insight into navigating the complex justice system and find the justice […]
Hombakazi Mercy Nqandeka is an agriculturalist who focuses on indigenous health systems and knowledge, and she’s an established author. In 2019 she returned to her home village with the aim of uplifting the people living there, and she’s doing just that. In 2020, she founded the Xhosa beading company Hombacrafts to preserve indigenous crafts and […]
Artivist and independent film, media and theatre producer Firdoze Bulbulia is the chairperson of The Children and Broadcasting Foundation for Africa, which hosted the World Summit on Media for Children in 2007 and has produced several multimedia productions for radio and television. She is a trainer and producer, creating media solutions internationally, especially for women […]
Broadcaster, producer and creative director Brenda Sisane joined the media and arts sector 35 years ago. She began her career as public relations manager at Sun International Resorts, and became a radio and television broadcaster in the late 1980s. Brenda leads her firm SPIN Productions and The SPIN Foundation nonprofit and is a jazz radio […]
Phumzile Chifunyise is the founder and chief executive of GreenNatives Pty Ltd trading as The Crop Box. She is responsible for the strategic direction, day-to-day operations, identifying the right partnerships with farmers and clients, product development and everything to do with growing the organisation. In 2019, she set out to create a packhouse facility in […]
Lehlogonolo Moseri is the founding director of Mosa Green Solutions, a company that provides solutions for environmental and waste management; environmental, social and governance advisory and implementation services; as well as social impact management services. She had led various mining, water resources, infrastructure and development projects in the public and private sector. Recognising the gaps […]
Doing what others think is impossible came naturally to Mpumi Maesela, who had to deliver a calf when she was still a child. After successfully doing so, she set herself a course on which challenges became her inspiration. Her studies were in business, where she obtained degrees in strategy and leadership. Using this background, she […]
Nandipha Toyota Ndudane is a veterinarian and the director and principal of Tsolo Agriculture and Rural Development Institute in the Eastern Cape, which offers a paraveterinary qualification in animal health. She also teaches modules in occupational communication, veterinary epidemiology and research methods. Nandipha is the president of the South African Veterinary Council, an Africa representative […]
Primrose Nompumelelo Masango is a senior inspector at the Perishable Products Export Control Board (PPECB) in George and the acting chief inspector in Patensie. Her job is training upcoming inspectors, and part of this entails boosting their confidence. She comes from a rural area, where she saw a lot of self-sabotage and fixed mindsets in […]
The Mail & Guardian is pleased to announce that the call for nominations for the 2024 Power of Women is now open