Women’s advancement must be a strategic investment in organisational performance, leadership succession and economic competitiveness.
The evidence demands action. Just Share’s 2025 assessment of the JSE Top 40 found that women occupied 38% of board seats but only 27.4% of executive roles, with just three companies led by female CEOs. Progress in board representation must translate into stronger executive pipelines. The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2025 estimated that global gender parity remained 123 years away at the prevailing pace. That trajectory demands greater urgency from those who control investment, appointments and opportunity.
Talent cannot advance without access. Leadership potential cannot deliver value without opportunity.
As Executive Producer of EmpowaHer Leadership Summit 2026, my commitment is to help turn emerging talent into a stronger pipeline of women equipped to lead organisations, build enterprises and influence decisions.
Taking place 29–31 October at EmpowaWorx House, Randburg, the summit brings together 200 young women representing 200 organisations, aligned to four strategic priorities:
Digital Leadership
Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Funding
Leadership, Governance and Board Readiness
Personal Leadership and Career Transformation
The programme connects learning with execution through each participant’s 100-day implementation plan, creating a practical route for applying insights within her organisation. For employers and partners, the value proposition is clear: develop future-ready talent, strengthen succession capacity and support innovation through a broader leadership pipeline.
To the private sector, employers and institutional partners: commit resources, influence and opportunity.
- Invest through sponsorship & funding;
- Provide executive mentorship and sponsorship;
- Open access to meaningful assignments and markets; and
- Back participants’ implementation plans with accountable organisational support.
Success must be measured through applied capability, expanded responsibilities, career progression and enterprise opportunities. Attendance begins the journey; sustained organisational commitment determines its impact.
The women who will shape our future are already here. The responsibility to invest in their advancement is ours.
The Future Is Female. Invest now. Open pathways. Accelerate her leadership.