Maureen Makole Manyama CA(SA) knows that a senior title counts for little without the authority to influence decisions. Her career has taught her how setbacks can test self-belief and how often women must prove themselves again, regardless of their experience. She believes organisations should trust women with difficult work and give them genuine power at…
It’s been 70 years since South Africa’s women marched on the Union Buildings, warning government that when you strike a woman, you strike a rock. But how much, exactly, has changed for women in this country since then? A look at WOMEN’S progress across all spheres – political, professional and social – shows a decidedly…
Hayley Lombard CA(SA) built a successful career in corporate finance before becoming a contemporary artist. Motherhood and COVID made her reconsider what success meant, but changing direction didn’t mean losing her professional identity. Accounting gave her the discipline to turn painting into a business. Art gave her the freedom to create. The two have far…
Long before the diagnosis, my family had reached firm consensus on one thing: I was clumsy. I bumped into furniture, tripped on stairs and misjudged distances. It was the family’s most reliable running joke and, as with most family running jokes, everyone was completely wrong. I was not clumsy. I just could not see. But…
South Africa has an abundance of talented women with the potential to lead. ‘The talent is already there,’ says Anisa Vallee CA(SA), CFO of Standard Investment and Asset Management, a division of Standard Bank Group. ‘It’s up to us to embrace opportunities, keep growing and use our strengths to make a meaningful difference. Often, the…
Sometimes, it doesn’t take years of introspection to find your purpose. Sometimes, it’s right in front of you. THAT’S THE CASE FOR Benni-Lee Mossop AGA(SA). Her purpose is simple, she says, and she is reminded of it every time she comes home. ‘Everything I do is for my husband, who has stood beside me through…
It’s a long way from the fields of KwaMpande to the air-conditioned boardrooms where Sinempilo Ngubane CA(SA) takes her seat as a financial director – and further still to the glamorous stages, tiaras and evening gowns of the Mrs South Africa pageant, where she qualified as a finalist. However, the journey is one she cherishes…
Opportunity, once given to you, must be passed on. This is one of the beliefs that Tryphosa Ramano CA(SA) lives by. It’s a philosophy that was forged through her own experiences, and which has guided nearly every step of her career, from taking on the role of CFO of South African Airways during its crisis…