#WBB - Women Breaking Barriers

#wbb w o m e n

b r e a k i n g

b a r r i e r s

Women trail blazers We follow the growth of women in SA

#wbb How Dr Pashy is adjusting to the new normal

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SA women taking the world by storm

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Sonia Mbele on being the change that she wants to see

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Tatjana: from the depths of despair to Olympic champion

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Win with Under Armour – competition

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Olympic gold medallist makes history and calls it a day

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Thembi Kgatlana - From Banyana Banyana to Atletico Madrid

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Nedbank supports SMEs Page 13 The world of money is welcoming women

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Ursula Pule and Nungu Diamonds – a cut above the rest

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Most influential women in the food and beverage industry

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PPS Short-Term Insurance Page 20 Women’s participation in the property sector

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KZN town planner calls on women to step through the property world

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Dogon Property Group Page 26 Essential to find a mentor Page 27 The 1956 pathway to a socially cohesive society

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Generation equality Page 30 Women are a force to be reckoned with

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of Regardless years how many ent in we have sp this life,

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t we mups get u .” ut o h s and

- Fatima Meer

Lead Co-ordinator: MaryAnne Isaac Content Co-ordinator: Thembelihle Mkhonza Layout and design: Floyd Matlala, Michelle Lorber and Robyn Fynn Editor: Linda Zakas | linda.zakas@inl.co.za

Cover images - Sources Thembi Kgatlana: Sydney Mahlangu/Backpagepix Dr Mmaki Jantjies: Supplied Amanda Cuba: Supplied Dr Pashy: Supplied Sonia Mbele: SoniaMbele/Instagram Tatjana Schoenmaker: TatjanaSchoenmaker/Twitter

How Dr Pashy is adjusting to the new normal

Award-winning anaesthesiologist Dr Patience Ntshani. Picture: Instagram VIWE NDONGENI DURING the Covid-19 pandemic, medical professionals have been under continuous pressure and stress.

To celebrate their tireless efforts, IOL Lifestyle will be shining a light on female medical professionals in celebration of Women’s Month.

Award-winning anaesthesiologist Dr Patience Ntshani, affectionately known as Dr Pashy, is passionate about medicine and she does it with style and grace.

She is also a wife, mother, entrepreneur and motivational speaker. “My goal is to show especially kids that they are capable of making their dreams come true.”

Dr Pashy shares her love for medicine and what keeps her motivated during this time.

Please tell us about yourself and where you are in your medical career I am a village girl from Botlokwa in Limpopo, presently

residing in Pretoria. I am a specialist anesthesiologist working in the private sector in Pretoria, administering anesthesia for open heart surgery, thoracic surgery and neurosurgery. I have graduated four times. I hold a degree in Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, a postgraduate diploma in Anesthesiology (DA), Fellowship in Anesthesiology (FCA) and Masters in Anesthesiology (MMED).

How has it been emotionally for you to treat Covid-19 patients?

The Covid-19 pandemic is testing my core obedience to this calling as a doctor. It is emotionally draining and I am constantly anxious. It is terrifying and painful to see a lot of my colleagues getting infected and dying. And my heart is touched by those who recover from Covid-19 and still get back to devote to the mission of saving lives.

What are some of your fears while taking care of the Covid-19 infected?

Even though we wear PPE – the fear of getting infected is always there. Especially for me as an anaesthesiologist because I take care of the airway and that’s the most critical area in terms of infection transmission.

How has your normal work routine been affected by the pandemic?

Our pre-scheduled operations are being postponed because now the hospitals prioritise the Covid-19 patients – then the patients come later with complications. Another problem is that most patients are scared to come to consult. The few that come, come when their disease is advanced.

So the anxiety in patients with known chronic diseases is preventing them to even collect their monthly treatments.

How do you take care of your mental health during this time?

Prayer and the Bible. I follow memes on social media and just laugh.

What keeps you motivated?

Knowing that I stepped into a career of service and I use my calling to serve God. Nothing feels as good as saving a life. It gives me a sense of purpose.

What talent do you have that many people don’t know?

I am a great Sudoku player.

Adriana Marais

SA women taking the tech world by storm

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These amazing women are only but a few of the many that are changing South Africa one step, one start-up and one company at a time.

YasmineJacobs Jacobs Yasmine WHILE South Africa has taken strides to close the gender gap in industries across the board, women still remain vastly under-represented in the technology space.

Currently, women hold 19% of tech-related jobs at the top 10 global tech companies. Men hold 81%.

In leadership positions at these global tech giants, women make up only 28%, with men representing 72%.

More shocking stats reveal that in South Africa, the proportion of females to males who graduate with STEM-related (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees is imbalanced.

Women are under-represented in maths and statistics (4:5), ICT and technology (2:5), as well as engineering, manufacturing and construction (3:10) As a result, there is a significantly smaller pool of female STEM talent, restricting the potential of South Africa’s technology sector. This imbalance between men and women in the technology sector could only be remedied unless organisations, schools and universities work together to change entrenched perceptions about the tech industry.

It is also important for young people to be educated about the dynamics and range of careers in the technology world, according to a report issued by PwC’s economics team.

In honour of Women’s Month, we highlight women in tech.

Baratang Miya Miya is the founder and CE of GirlHYPE: Women Who Code. She started a coding academy for women and girls in disadvantaged communities in South Africa,

in a bid to attract, promote and develop them in the field of STEM. Adriana Marais Marais is the founder of Proudly Human and is a theoretical physicist and technologist. Marais is always seeking to develop new frontiers in research and technology for a future on Earth, Mars and beyond.

She is also a director at the Foundation for Space Development.

Zandile Keebine Keebine is the chairperson of NPO GirlCode. GirlCode aims to become the hub for young girls and women, who want to get into tech. They offer all-female hackathons and monthly workshops, as well as direct access to women working in top Information and Communication Tech (ICT) companies.

Dr Mmaki Jantjies Dr Jantjies was one of the first black South African female PhD computer science graduates in the country at the age of 28.

She is a former lecturer at the University of Western Cape’s academic department of information systems, and strongly believes that technology is no longer a luxury in the education space but is a necessity.

Tumi Sineke Sineke is the head of the OfferZen Foundation, working hard to improve diversity and inclusion in tech.

The foundation’s mission is to help people from disadvantaged communities thrive in their tech careers.

Sineke seeks to lead and implement programmes at scale that have made a positive impact in people’s lives.

Sewagodimo Matlapeng Indoni Developers is an organisation that provides career support for female software developers. The organisation focuses on mentorship, skills development and opportunity as the three pillars of developing sustainable tech careers for women.

Lindiwe Matlali Matlali is the founder and chief executive of Africa Teen Geeks, an NGO that offers coding lessons to South African school children and unemployed youth.

The organisation also hosts workshops, hackathons and community outreach programmes.

The mission of Africa Teen Geeks is that no child be left behind in the tech revolution. It has grown to be one of Africa’s largest computer science NGOs, with a reach of over 48 000 children and more than 1 300 volunteers.

Benji Coetzee Coetzee is the founder of EmptyTrips. EmptyTrips is a fast-growing South African start-up and is on a mission to match cargo space demand to supply for the transportation of goods. EmptyTrips reduces carbon emissions by optimising the use of trucks and trains. It has been described as the ’Uber for cargo’.

These amazing women are only but a few of the many that are changing South Africa one step, one start-up and one company at a time. We are looking forward to see more women take the reins and make a name for themselves, in not only the tech industry but in all sectors in South Africa.

Dr Mmaki Jantjies

Sonia Mbele on being the change that she wants to see in the industry DEBASHINE THANGEVELO IT’s Women’s Month. As such, we are celebrating those individuals who are making a notable difference. One such pioneer is seasoned actress Sonia Mbele.

Aside from becoming a household name as Ntombi Khumalo on Mfundi Vundla’s hit soapies, “Generations”, she went on to star in several critically acclaimed TV shows as well as home-grown movies.

While her long-standing career helped her hone her craft, it also exposed her to the cracks in the industry. It was something that didn’t sit well with her and she decided to do something about it.

And so, three years ago, she launched All About Films.

Her recent acting comeback in Mzansi Magic’s telenovela, “DiepCity”, was quite serendipitous in that it allowed me to finally have a chat with her and unpack her journey.

She said: “Look, I think I’ve always known that this was the natural progression that was going to happen anyway.

“And I will tell you why. As a young kid, I would write music lyrics and short stories.

“And I remember the first time I went on a flight and I was fascinated by the chicken or beef notion, and I wrote a short story about it.

“I’ve always known that this was the direction I was eventually going to take.

And it got to a point where going on set just became very monotonous and very routine.

“I had been in the industry for years and there were so many things that I wanted to see changed and things that I wanted to see implemented.

“And I said to myself, ‘Sonia, be the change that you want to see’, because there are certain things that are happening, in terms of production, that you are not happy with.

“And maybe be behind the scenes and implement those changes for the better or the betterment of the industry. So that is what I did.”

As with everything in life, these leaps require planning and preparation.

She added: “ I didn’t just jump into it. I took a writing course with the NFVF (the National Film and Video Foundation), which is called the Sediba Programme.

“I took that. Then I went overseas. I went to Manchester, London, and I went to the US, just taking short workshops on how to become a formidable producer, basically.”

To date, she’s given us two reality shows. Mbele pointed out: “Look, I’m still an infant. It’s been three years since I went into producing full time, so I’m still taking it easy.

“So far I’ve done ’The Real Housewives of Johannesburg’ (season 1 and 2) and ’Pastors Wives’.

“There are so many things that need to be changed in this industry. I’ve also made some mistakes as a producer. But I’m an infant.

“I’m not making any excuses but I’m just saying there are so many things that need to be changed and I found myself in a situation where I’m beginning to dislike what I’m doing or the environment that I’m in.

“And if somebody like Sonia, who is ‘established’ is hating being on set, then the young girl and the young man stand no chance, right.”

Although it is still early days for Mbele as a producer, she’s encountered positives and negatives.

Continued “The rewarding thing is definitely when you see something that you created, that you had a hand in, being on television, and how it is received.

“To see that it is trending and people are talking about it and they are excited and can’t wait to watch the next episode.

“And wherever you go, they are like ‘Oh my god, I love your show, you are doing such a great show.’

That is the plus.

“The downside is just experiencing the challenges that the industry as a whole has to be plugged in.

“I’m talking about not working with the right budget.

I’m talking about working with people who don’t see you.

“When you are coming from a background as an actress and now you are trying to establish yourself as a producer, there are still people who see you as less.

There are still people who don’t give you a chance.

“There are people who don’t think you deserve it. So those stumbling blocks are a huge frustration. Huge frustration.”

And while her passion is her compass, her tenacity is her greatest weapon against detractors.

She also admits to being a hands-on producer.

She explained: “I’m that producer who is the first to arrive and the last to leave. ”And I get comments like executive producers are hardly ever at work.

“I’m very hands-on not because I’m micromanaging but I know what I need to see at the end of the day.”

In SA, women are starting to make their mark in the industry. The narrative may be changing, but it is slow.

Meanwhile, she is excited to be returning to acting.

She’s been cast as Zola, a drug lord, on “DiepCity”.

On tackling a character that strays from her past likeable characters, she shared: “Look I’ve played a villain before, I’ve played a gangster before on ’The Imposter’.

But I feel she was killed too soon. So I feel like I didn’t have any closure,” she laughed.

She added: “I felt I needed to explore the character, even more so when this character came and I was like, ‘Wait, now I get to finish what I started and sink my claws into it’.

“I just want to make her as psycho as possible. I want people to see the horns on the devil. They must run.”

Before returning to her scenes, she said: “You have not seen anything yet as far as where I want to go. It’s the change I want to bring to the industry, but positive change. I’ve learnt from my mistakes and I know I’m not about to repeat them. If the budget doesn’t make sense, don’t do it.”

In breaking barriers, Mbele is taking things in her stride. Good on her!

Tatjana: from the depths of despair to Olympic champi WIN with INDEPENDENT MEDIA and Under Armour.

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Picture: Anton Geyser/SASPA/SASI

ASHFAK MOHAMED SHE is now a double Olympic medallist, but did you know that Tatjana Schoenmaker was close to taking part in the 2016 Rio Olympics?

The then-19-year-old, based at the Tuks Sport club in Pretoria, was contesting the 200m breaststroke at the South African trials.

She had already posted a qualifying time beforehand, but had to do so once more at the trials to secure her passage to Brazil.

She fell short by the smallest of margins, one-hundredth of a second (0.01 seconds), and her Olympic dream was over… for the moment.

Schoenmaker had contemplated getting out of the swimming pool for good, which would’ve been totally understandable considering the situation. She was studying financial science at the University of Pretoria, and could pursue a comfortable corporate job after that – no need for those 5am training sessions!

It also meant that South Africa wouldn’t have female swimmers at the Rio Olympics But she soon met up with renowned Tuks Sport coach Rocco Meiring, and he managed to convince her to give herself another chance and aim for Tokyo 2020. And the rest is history…

A 100m-200m breaststroke double followed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, Australia, and she clinched the 200m silver medal at the 2019 world championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

“It was a tough setback. I really struggled to enjoy swim-

ming after that. The excitement was so real, and we were getting so happy about me going, and then finding out I didn’t make it,” Schoenmaker told the Olympics website about missing out in 2016.

“I’m very grateful that I didn’t go. It sounds weird. I can say it would probably be as a motivation that it didn’t work out, and that was meant to be like that.

Then, Covid-19 happened. Most athletes would have felt frustrated by the games being postponed by a year, but not the unflustered Schoenmaker. In fact, she felt that it was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed her to have a “proper break” that she normally wouldn’t have during a season.

In an interview with Independent Media before the SA championships in April, Schoenmaker said her preparations for the Tokyo Olympics were going well.

“I think we were more motivated and we were able to train over the festive season. By the time you get to December, normally you are so tired, and you just want to go home and take the week off between Christmas and New Year’s,” she said.

She went on to set new national and African records in the 50m (30.42 seconds), 100m (1:05.74) and 200m (2:20.17) at the SA championships, but she was still adamant that the 100m event wasn’t her main focus. Schoenmaker said that the “100 pays for the 200”, so it was more about getting some racing in than any medal ambitions in the 100m.

Perhaps still stung by what happened in the 2016 qual-

ification process, she didn’t want to get too excited about pushing for the 200m gold in Tokyo.

Asked what it would take to secure a medal, she said: “If I can make a final, it would be amazing. I think just to keep your head in it, and not to create too much pressure on yourself by people’s expectations. Ja, I think I’m just there to do my best, give my best. If I swim a PB there, that’s amazing.

“I think not a lot of people or some people can say they actually went to the Olympics and swam their best times and stuff. If I get to the final… They say if you have a lane, you have a chance. I mean, Wayde van Niekerk came from lane eight! So, anything is possible, but ja, at the end, I’m just there to improve on my own times.”

Well, as we now know, she did improve her times – an Olympic record and silver medal in the 100m breaststroke, and a world record and gold in the 200m.

Schoenmaker became the first woman to break through the 2:19 barrier in the 200m, with her world mark of 2:18.95.

Upon her arrival at the OR Tambo International Airport recently, she said that her achievements hadn’t “sunk in”.

But when looking back at her journey to glory, from the depths of despair of missing out on Rio 2016, to double medallist, world and Olympic records at Tokyo 2020 (in 2021), all of that will hit home in the months to come.

As we celebrate Women’s Day on August 9 and Women’s Month, let’s cheer for Tatjana Schoenmaker – a real inspiration and role model for the ladies of Mzansi…

Olympic silver medallist makes history and calls it a day Morgan Bolton

JUST after making history at the Olympics games in Tokyo last month by becoming the first silver medallist in surfing, Bianca Buitendag; with joy sparkling in her eye and a smile of gratefulness cut across her face; announced to everyone’s surprise that with her dream achieved, she would plant her board in the sand and call it a day in her professional career.

“It’s a historical moment,” she admitted afterwards to a local news site. “I’ll only realise the magnitude in a few days, but it’s awesome.

“It’s also the last contest of my life, so I went out with a bang. I’ve made the most of a lot of the opportunities given and never really let one slip past. It’s time to carry on with the next season of my life.”

Indeed, it was the perfect way to end the Games for the 27-year-old, one that will leave a legacy for years to come and which defied all the odds to achieve it. Ranked 26th in the world before the Olympic event, Buitendag fought her way through the field of 20, beating favourites and greats along the way to her second-place finish.

To those that watched the event, it came as something of a revelation, but even before the

Games, Buitendag made no bones about her chances, and considered herself an underdog - the ultimate motivation. She was also alive to the magnitude of the occasion and the responsibility upon her shoulders.

“It’s the first time that surfing has been included at the Olympics,” Buitenbag said with a proud smile and giggle in an interview with Independent Media then, “so this was never really on the radar growing up. We would watch other disciplines but never think we would be included … I’m looking forward to it and it still feels a bit surreal.

“It feels weird (being an Olympian). Unless I started another sport, for us it was just a non-existent possibility. So, when they announced it three or four years ago, I was like, ‘uh-oh, I can’t let this opportunity pass’. We never thought this dream would come true.”

For Buitendag, surfing transcends the metaphysical boundaries of what a sport is and can be. It is beyond tangible reality and operates as much in the physical world, as it does deep within the sub-consciousness.

It is not merely a matter of flesh, blood and muscle subduing the might of nature, or con-

quering the power of the ocean but rather a cathartic, near-night religious experience every time she crosses the threshold between terra firma and the sea.

Explained Buitendag: “To me, it is more of a therapy than a sport.

“There is an actual geographical divide once you step over the shoreline - it feels like you are leaving everything behind. There is a sense of freedom in that. That is my biggest thrill, to just put your head under the water and kind of wash away what happened that day, that year.

“I can’t imagine not being in the ocean, even on a weekly basis I start shaking if I haven’t been in the sea.

“Catching waves is a bonus but it is the initial crossing into the ocean that refreshes you; it gives you a clean slate. It’s a baptism every time.”

Through her triumph, the Victoria Bay-native will no doubt introduce surfing to a new batch of would-be Olympians that will have the joy of experiencing that regeneration of spirit.

And although her medal will be the tactile connection to her achievement, it is that spark of inspiration that will be her legacy.

Thembi Kgatlana - From Banyana Banyana to Atletico Madrid ZAAHIER ADAMS

PLAYING for Spanish club Atletico Madrid was not the fulfilment of a lifelong dream for Thembi Kgatlana. As a little girl growing up in Mohlakeng, she in fact never even harboured thoughts of being a professional footballer.

They follow me on the road when I go back home, especially all the small kids. It is something that doesn’t only inspire me, but inspires the next girl that wishes to play in Europe.

And if her mother had a way, Kgatlana would have been an athlete – just like her mom was.

Through me it is possible for them to see that they are able to go play wherever they want. They can follow their dreams if they put in the effort and be consistent with what they are doing.”

But today Kgatlana is the poster-girl of South African women’s football and an inspiration and role model for many young girls in Mzansi.

“It was tough because I didn’t grow up with these opportunities in front of me,” said the pint-sized forward.

Kgatlana has certainly not had an easy road to the Spanish capital. It has been a long and arduous journey that has seen her circumnavigate the globe, from USA via China and Portugal to the Basque country’s city of Eibar, before arriving in the bright lights of Madrid.

“It was quite difficult for me at the start, but I realised when Portia Modise went to Europe ... when she went to Denmark … I think that was the glimpse of light that I needed to know that I can make a career out of football.

“Now at home they are looking at me and wanting to be me.

These globe-trotting travels have given her insight into how women’s professional leagues around the world are run, and the support it receives from either their respective national governments, sport federations and corporate sector.

Thembi Kgatlana’s book titled Strike a Rock : The Story of Thembi Kgatlana by Nikolaos Kirkinis

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The world of money

is welcoming women

By Anna Rich THE financial services industry, which traditionally has been overwhelmingly the domain of men, has recently made major strides in opening up to women intent on pursuing a career in finance.

This is the view of Llewellyn Paulse, managing director of The Recruitment Council, which serves the financial services and advisory recruitment sector. “Although financial services across insurance, wealth, banking, finance and financial management have traditionally been a predominantly male career choice, we have seen a major shift in this space over a number of years,” Paulse says.

In part, he attributes the shift to societal changes in gender roles. “Within the financial advisory sector, the playing field has been levelled between male and female professionals due to factors such as the necessity for dual household incomes, co-parenting, and the increase in women requiring advice on their finances,” Paulse says.

“Furthermore, financial services and finance are within the top three industries that women aspire to as a career choice.”

The South African financial sector is a significant provider of employment, and of employment for women. “There are 11 576 active Financial Services Provider (FSP) licences registered with the Financial Services Conduct Authority (FSCA). Finance-related companies employ about 2.5 million people, according to the Statistics SA Quarterly Labour Force Survey figures for the first quarter of 2021.

And of these employees, approximately 43% are women,” says Paulse. “It is encouraging to see this upswing in female representation.”

In the financial planning sector, the most recent figures from the Financial Planning Institute (FPI) show that the proportion of female members of the Institute is currently 32%. The number of women with a relevant professional designation is 1 668, and of those, the number who have the Certified Financial Planner (CFP) designation is 1 514.

The proportion of black women is lower, but numbers have been increasing slightly each year.

Employers are making a concerted effort to appoint women. “Companies across the sector – from financial advisory firms to blue chip corporates, brokerages, investment advisory firms in the wealth space, and life, shortterm and commercial insurance – are driving the acquisition of female candidates across all races, but of black African women in particular,” Paulse says.

This is certainly not tokenism, he notes. “At The Recruitment Council, we see our role in this empowerment drive as being a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’ to women in the financial services industry. Women are being given the opportunity to prove their worth.”

And among black African women in particular, he sees immense untapped potential. “There are phenomenally qualified, highly-skilled women who have every right to lead, deliver financial advice, manage teams and direct businesses.

“We are pleased to see how the demographic of Black women in financial services is shifting positively, with the emergence of dynamic, highly educated, professional women who can command attention at the highest level, right up to the boardroom.”

When looking at prospective employees, the financial services and advisory recruitment sector requires a particular focus on regulatory requirements. “FSPs are beholden to a regulatory landscape,” explains Paulse.

“This includes ‘fit and proper’ regulations (relating to honesty and integrity), the retail distribution review (reforms that ensure that financial products are distributed in ways that meet the principles of Treating Customers Fairly), annual continued professional development (CPD); and many other aspects of compliance that are required by the Financial Sector Conduct Authority.

Women excel in attaining the academic qualifications and in meeting the regulatory requirements,” says Paulse.

In his experience, the qualifications that are high in demand in the financial advisory sector are Certified Financial Planner (CFP); BCom in financial planning, investment management or economics; postgraduate diploma in investment management; MBA; Honours in actuarial sciences; and Certified Financial Analyst (CFA).

However, he says financial services companies are now looking beyond these qualifications. “We are noticing a trend in that companies are shifting towards onboarding candidates who have atypical qualifications. This now allows candidates who previously could not enter the sector to be considered as serious contenders in the market.”

Some examples of these qualifications are Bachelors of arts and law, Bachelors of commerce in entrepreneurship and financial journalism, and even honours in

“At The Recruitment Council, we see our role in this empowerment drive as being a ‘hand up’ rather than a ‘hand out’ to women in the financial services industry.”

agriculture management. And the “atypical” qualifications are not limited to these.

Looking to the future, to ensure further transformation, Paulse says the following strategies need to be put in place: • An aggressive talent acquisition strategy for headhunting and recruiting women to ensure that they are represented in the workplace.

• Focused, highly-specialised, exclusive training academies to onboard newly qualified female professionals.

• Long-term succession planning across administration, advisory, investment management and short-term insurance to executive level to ensure sustainable female representation well into the future.

• Graduate and internship programmes that will attract women with no work experience and expose them to all aspects of the sector.

• Strong leadership and mentors for up and coming females to emulate.

• Follow through of mentorship programmes that will fast-track development, skills and career success with a view towards long-term retention.

Nungu Diamonds – a cut above the rest

IOL LIFESTYLE CHATS WITH URSULA PULE ABOUT HER LOVE OF DIAMONDS AND HOW IT FORMS PART OF HER HERITAGE AND LEGACY. Sir Thomas Browne said: “Rough diamonds may sometimes be mistaken for worthless pebbles”.

Ursula Pule, the creative director of Nungu Diamonds, certainly knows the difference.

During August we are shining a light on women, especially those who carve their way and embed their feet in what’s perceived to be dominantly male territory.

The light surely shines bright on Pule, whose mission within the diamond industry, apart from excellence in jewellery, has evolved into educating the unenlightened as to what to expect from a young, driven, previously disadvantaged female entrepreneur.

We caught up with her to chat about Nungu Diamonds and her passion for the precious gems.

Where does your love for diamonds come from?

My husband. His love of diamonds and the diamond industry bit me hard, and the more I learned, the more I love it.

What do diamonds mean to you?

They are part of my heritage and now part of my legacy. Being mined here and us being able to cut, polish and set them here in South Africa enables me to be part of changing the narrative about diamonds and the African continent, and I get to make a living.

What inspired you to work in the industry?

Seeing how much diamonds are loved around the world, more so South African diamonds. I wanted to understand why back home, the care isn’t the same. This led to my husband and I starting a jewellery brand that would strive to further educate our people about the beauty and actual value of diamonds.

How did Nungu Diamonds come about?

It started as a curiosity and became a passion. The diamond industry is intriguing, more so diamonds themselves. We love to say the industry picked us.

What separates Nungu Diamonds from other companies?

We do. My husband and I. It’s in our sales process and how we treat every client as we would want to be treated – taking time to understand their needs for what they are purchasing and how best to take care of them. We offer a truly personalised service.

What role do diamonds play in the African luxury industry?

In my opinion, one of the biggest! The African Luxury Industry is evolving and becoming much more distinctly Africa in the most robust way. We are taking our love and grand design and putting it in our luxury language.

What words of advice do you have for women starting their own business or wanting to start their own business?

Start! And always learn from praise-givers and critics alike. This will give you knowledge and direction about how to channel your business to where it is needed. No matter what it is, you will always bring something different to that industry.

What’s the highlight in your career so far?

It would be our clients – all of them. It’s gratifying to see people happy and blessed by what they have purchased, marking a milestone moment with a diamond.

If you had to pick your favourite piece of jewellery, what would it be?

I love eternity bands. Rings that have diamonds or other precious stones set all around the band of the ring with no start and no end.

I love that, because whether you buy one for yourself or receive it from a loved one, it is an eternal promise of love and memories.

URSULA PULE The creative director of Nungu Diamonds.

The most influential women in the food and beverage industry

LUTHO PASIYA

Who are the most influential and innovative women leading the food and beverage industry today? Well, wonder no more.

From restaurateurs and business executives, to brewers growing brands, these are the women driving the industry forward.

Not all the women listed below may operate as big industry players. But this group is permanently changing the way we eat and drink, and how we think about food and beverages.

Now that’s power in its own right.

LUCY BEARD

SARAH COLLINS

Lucy Beard is the co-founder of Hope Distillery, a Cape Town gin and vodka distillery that prides itself on crafting spirits from scratch. Beard left her career in London as a lawyer and returned to South Africa to start a craft distillery with her husband, Leigh. Initially called Hope on Hopkins, now rebranded as Hope Distillery, the company has gone from strength to strength.

She says every day they set out to make the absolute best spirits they can.

“We’re constantly experimenting and striving for excellence, mixing up new ideas and honing our recipes in our custom-built distillery. For us, it’s about creating something exceptional; something instilled with integrity and passion; something that will become the perfect accompaniment to people’s special moments,” says Beard.

Sarah Collins is the founder of Wonderbag, a stand-alone, non-electric insulated bag designed to reduce the amount of fuel required to cook food in developing countries.

Although the Wonderbag was designed to help the poor cook their food without using too much electricity, it’s just as useful for those who are short on time than money.

The product was widely used during load shedding, and now everyone from restaurants and hotels to individuals in their private homes will likely look to this indigenous bag again to help save precious water resources.

Collins says cooking in the Wonderbag keeps the moisture inside your food, and the nutrients don’t boil away, thus promoting healthy food.

NTSIKI BIYELA Ntsiki Biyela is one of South Africa’s iconic and world-renowned winemakers. Biyela has forged a path to become a highly respected and widely admired name in the world of wine. In 2016, she established Aslina Wines, inspired by the strength and determination of the biggest influence in her life, her grandmother.

Today, Aslina is renowned for its range of premium wines and is the realisation of Biyela’s dream to create an exceptional world-class brand. Her ambition to create her own wines grew following a collaboration with Californian winemaker Helen Kiplinger as part of Mika Bulmash’s Wine for the World initiative.

It was over dinner and a glass of wine with her new colleagues in the US that Biyela shared the story of the inspiration behind her ambition. Her grandmother was the guiding light in her life, and it became obvious that her new brand should be named Aslina in the matriarch’s honour.

SIBA MTONGANA

Sibahle Mtongana is a chef, restaurateur and television presenter famously known as the host of the Cooking Channel show Siba’s Table.

Mtongana continues to break industry barriers through her passion for food and people.

In 2019, she was hand-picked by the presidency to direct and curate the VIP menu for the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa, serving 450 guests, including heads of states, former presidents, kings, queens and global business moguls.

After recently being dubbed a “global food goddess”

by Tatler Malaysia and being recognised by Harvard University, the multi-award-winning cookbook author also opened her first Cape Town restaurant at Sun International’s five-star Table Bay Hotel in the V&A Waterfront last year.

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Nkiyasi Nukeri

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Dentistry University of Witwatersrand

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A long, hard road Women’s participation in the property sector, both as professionals and sellers or buyers, has been affected by discriminatory laws and a lack of knowledge about how it works Bonny Fourie WHEN someone is aspiring to reach a goal or make a life change, powerful quotes are often used for motivation.

Some of the most well-known are along the lines of “the secret to getting ahead is to get started” or “the best time to start is today”.

But for many women in South Africa and around the world, achieving dreams such as property ownership or making career strides in the property sector has not always been under their control. Even if they had the desire and the will to take that first step, in the past a slew of laws prevented them doing so.

While this is changing, fortunately, the road has been hard and the journey long.

Female property ownership – or lack thereof – has always been an issue, says Gugu Sithole-Ngobese, founder of Women in Planning SA (Wipsa).

In addition to there being laws that permits women to own and inherit land, land ownership is an intersectional issue where multiple forms of discrimination, including race, play a role.

“It is improving, especially after landmark cases such as that in 2020 when Agnes Sithole successfully challenged an apartheid-era law that denied black women the right to own family property.”

Sithole-Ngobese says prior to the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent economic downturn, there was an increase in the number of young, black women driving the property market.

However, more needs to be done to arm women with the tools to build wealth and obtain appreciating assets, such as property.

“There is a general belief that if you provide opportunities, people will come. But information needs to be spread. Many women, especially black women, aren’t aware of the opportunities that exist to help them own properties.

“Government subsidies, such as the Finance Linked Individual Subsidy Programme (Flisp) which is open to all South Africans looking to purchase their first home, are available and more needs to be done to disseminate this information.”

Lightstone Property data shows that in 2017, a total of 38.4% of residential property purchases were made by women, although some were jointly with men. Womenonly buyers accounted for 18.35%. Since then, women property ownership has grown: • 2018: 41.6% women purchases – 18.7% women-only purchases.

• 2019: 44.2% women purchases – 20.1% women-only purchases.

• 2020: 50.25% women purchases – 23.43% women-only purchases.

• 2021 so far: 55.25% women purchases – 24.9% womenonly purchases.

In the first-half of this year, women made almost 71 000 property purchases, although some of these were joint purchases with men. Gauteng accounted for most of such buys with 29 401. This was followed by Western Cape (17 498) and KwaZulu-Natal (8 758).

But women’s participation in the property sector is not just about homeownership. It includes all the professional facets of the built environment sector, as well as female participation at board level of the listed property sector.

This year, the inaugural State of Gender Diversity in the Listed Real Estate Sector report was published by the Women’s Property Network (WPN) in collaboration with the Property Sector Charter Council and Anchor Stockbrokers.

The report found that, last year: • 13 out of 28 Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) had 100% male executive directors.

• 17 out of 28 REITs had 28% female non-executive directors.

From 2013 to last year, women only accounted for 15% of executive positions and 24% of non-executive positions.

In the report, Joanne Solomon, chief executive of the SA REITs Association, said: “The South African REIT sector is making some progress but it’s clear that more is needed to ensure the industry remains a major contributor to the economy (and) drives transformation imperatives across its vast value chain and broader society.”

Nonhlanhla Mayisela, chairperson of WPN and chief executive of Izandla Property Fund, says REITs greatly influence the downstream value chain because, as the primary owners of real estate assets, they are major procurers of services and significant employers in the sector.

And the sector is an interdependent ecosystem in which each of the segments relies on each other to derive commercial value.

“Equally, when we focus on the topic of gender diversity in the sector, it is evident that the ability of the sector to realise meaningful and sustainable economic participation by women largely depends on the various segments within this ecosystem to work collectively to achieve gender diversity.”

Mayisela says the organisation believes that gender diversity in the sector will be largely driven by the representation of female executives and non-executives which form part of the REITs. “This is where decisions related to senior appointments and procurement are made, and as such, if there’s sufficient gender diversity at this level, the participation of women along the full real estate value chain becomes a strategic imperative.”

In terms of working in property sales, Sithole-Ngobese says there is a “dire need” for more black women to operate as full-status agents.

“Aspiring estate agents are required by the Estate Agents Affairs Board to select a mentor at their agency to guide them, which entails signing off on their deals and overseeing the development of their logbook (an EAAB requirement which contains all evidence of their work as an intern agent).

“Young women of colour need mentors who are able to empathise and see their points of view and understand the challenges that come with being a young, black female in the property sector.”

Because many black people do not inherit lessons of property ownership from their parents, aunts or uncles, she says there is no familial passage of knowledge on how to invest and maintain wealth.

“So, for many women in South Africa, this knowledge is obtained through research and hard work. Mentors who understand what is at stake are crucial.”

More needs to be done to arm women with tools to build their wealth and obtain appreciating assets, such as property.

KZN town planner calls on women to

step through by themselves and seize the initiative in the property world Bonny Fourie NOTHILE Mkhize is a shining example of a woman who has taken her passion, pushed through countless challenges, and is making a name for herself in the world of property.

She grew up in the rural KwaZulu-Natal town of Ixopo, and attended high school in Ulundi, where she discovered a love of geography and technical drawing.

This led her to move to Durban to study town and regional planning. She is still pursuing her career in the city. This has been her journey thus far: What have been some of the challenges you have had to overcome in order to be where you are now?

My biggest challenge was getting a job after completing my studies. With the shortage of jobs in the country, I opted to start my own company. I also started the company to assist other young professionals with internship skills to start their careers.

Starting a business from scratch can be very challenging and risky and having to build a reputation for yourself in a male-dominated industry takes hard work.

Over the course of building the company, I have faced and overcome many obstacles such as finding suitable team members and securing jobs.

What other obstacles do you witness other women in the sector facing? And what is your advice to them?

As much as there has been some progress towards overcoming the under-representation of women in the built environment sector, there is still an imbalance.

This leads to most women being discouraged from pursuing a career within the construction and property sectors.

“

Stop waiting for someone to open doors for you

”

In the 21st century, there is also still a pay gap between men and women in the industry. Although it is highly unjust, many women take these jobs because they need the money to support their families.

We need a lot more women in the sector to redress this cycle of negative behaviours and reasoning.

What aspects/characteristics do you believe women can bring to the property sector that will benefit it?

Women have proven that they can join together to make a difference when faced with significant challenges, which can be an advantage to the upliftment of the industry.

What are your thoughts/inspirations/concerns about the role of women in the property sector? What do you think should be done to both elevate women in these roles and capitalise on all they can offer?

While many industries have been working for decades to increase their workplace diversity, the construction/built environment world has been remarkably slow to follow their lead.

An increasing number of women are now entering this traditionally male-dominated environment, although the numbers are still insignificant when compared with men.

Equipping women with built environment-related skills, as well as giving them confidence to improve their development, ensures women engage in self-build housing projects.

This not only ensures women have adequate shelter but that they earn an income from these skills.

The pandemic has thrown a spotlight on work-life balance, not only for women who often have responsibilities to families and within the home, but for men too.

But as a woman, knowing what you – and other women – may be juggling both personally and professionally, what is your advice for work-life balance for women?

The Covid‑19 pandemic is harming health, social and economic wellbeing worldwide, with women at the centre.

Many working women who experienced negative shifts in their daily routine say they’re unable to balance their work and life commitments, which may result in their physical and mental life being disturbed.

Nothile Mkhize

What advice can you share to inspire or encourage other women?

As a woman in a vastly male-dominated industry, I feel that women need to stop waiting for the doors to be opened for them. We must push through for ourselves. We need to create opportunities for our kids and the generations after.

What message do you have for fellow female leaders like yourself?

LEAGUE OF HER OWN /

Women Who Rise With Heart The greatest key to success when juggling multiple things is limiting what and who occupies my headspace. You must make a conscious decision to spend your precious time with people who bring value. To avoid complete depletion of your energy you can’t waste time on things that aren’t deserving of it.

Elegant candour.

These two words are synonymous with a remarkable woman who defines success both personally and professionally as the power of her relationships.

Leading with heart, for her, is about maintaining these relationships in a way that is honest, sustainable, and synergistic.

Being a successful woman in business takes sacrifice, determination, and focus.

The key is to work with what you have, then innovate. By getting into the shoes of an agent I not only fully understand their struggles but can prove to them what’s possible by first doing it myself. Since becoming MD of Dogon Group, my focus on the Southern Suburbs where I’ve resided all my life has seen our brand expand significantly there. Our transactions in the area now account for a notable portion of group sales. My goal is to emulate the longstanding success of the Atlantic Seaboard and City Bowl teams who continue to dominate in those territories. As a group we’re also currently spearheading 28 developments in niche areas across the city.

What has been your greatest challenge during the pandemic?

Personally, it was managing anxiety of the unknown and creating a structured environment for my children. Professionally it was pivoting a business heavily reliant on face-to-face interactions to all our agents operating online and support staff working from home. Dogon’s stellar sales and rentals during all lockdown levels is testimony to our adaptive success. When many businesses were folding, we not only survived, but grew.

How do you take care of your mental and emotional health?

When interviewed for this feature, Group MD of Dogon Group Properties, Alexa Horne, emphasized that although honoured to be regarded as a woman breaking barriers (and one who passionately advocates for gender balance at that) she holds equal esteem for single men juggling everything at this intense time of global uncertainty.

Exercise and running are my therapy. I’m also very strict with myself. Self-discipline and self-care go hand in hand because they’re about maintaining balance. You must take care of yourself before you can take care of others.

Yes, she’s a single Mum raising two children as well as heading one of South Africa’s premier boutique real estate brands as a woman in her 40s, but she’s ultimately about the human story.

The reality is I couldn’t be happier. I feel so fulfilled from every perspective; I’ve got two incredible kids and an unbelievably supportive partner, family, and girlfriends. And the business I lead is showing solid growth. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how to leverage change. Ultimately, we all need to inspire each other to be – and always be – human beings breaking barriers.

Article By : Iwan Jooste / Penhaus

As a LLB graduate from the University of Cape Town, her impressive career spans roles at renowned firms like Investec and Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr. In addition to now being at the helm of Dogon Group, Alexa is a top-producing agent in the luxury realty sector, her well-honed financial and legal skills making her a formidable player.

With a finger on the pulse of Cape Town lifestyle and an influential national network, Alexa delivers a multiservice package to her clients. She continues to grow the Dogon team, since the beginning of the pandemic sixteen new agents have joined the company.

With her tenacity, confidence, and dedication complimented by a vivacious “can do” attitude, getting to know Alexa is much more of an opus than it is a privilege. She lives with her family in Upper Claremont.

‘Breaking down barriers.’ What does this mean to you?

Beyond the financial definition of success, true success is about breaking barriers in relationships. With clients this means being hands on, serving them with humility and focused efficiency. With my team it means leading by example, remaining empathetic but always demanding excellence. And with my loved ones it means making time – and when making that time being present, available, and connected.

How do you feel you are leading Dogon differently and what’s next for the group?

Denise Dogon, an incredible woman who broke her own barriers, left me big shoes to fill. Despite having very different leadership styles, we’re both about empowering those who work with us. So, it’s not so much about doing things differently to her, but rather complimenting her vision with mine for the success of all. What’s next? Apart from my focus to expand Dogon on the Western Seaboard, it’s continuing to stay focused on our own change and be the best version of ourselves by constantly innovating and adapting to meet our clients’ needs while maintaining a happy team.

For a woman who champions all humans breaking barriers, this woman breaking barriers by building her business interaction by interaction proves that relationships are the bricks and mortar to success. Alexa also reminds us that being in a league of her own is not about being set apart – but rather being at the heart of it all, paving the way for others.

Alexa Horne 082 349 7799 alexa@dogongroup.com

Essential to find a mentor WOMEN who own property, or have parents who own property, are at an advantage compared to their peers, says Gugu Sithole-Ngobese, founder of Women in Planning SA. This means more women need to be talking about wealth accumulation and property investment and acquisition.

“Our circles need to be up-front and direct about what we experience. Many of us do not want to expose the hardships we face in settings dominated by men, but to face these struggles and then talk about them in a frank and open way means we get to share solutions with other women who are experiencing similar challenges.”

Such challenges, many of which stem from the legacies of apartheid, still plague many women, she says.

But one of the ways to get over this hurdle – not counting the hurdles that come with raising enough funds, establishing a stable credit score and investing wisely – is for women to find advisers and agents that they trust.

“Finding an agent whom you know can work for you and guide you along the way is essential,” says Sithole-Ngobese.

Gugu Sithole-Ngobese

The 1956 pathway to a so WOMAN POWER

LINDA ZAMA Advocate and special advisor to the Office of the KZN Premier.

She writes in her personal capacity.

These women were aware of the power of standing together, regardless of race and geographic location

AUGUST is Women’s Month in our country and While we cannot live in the past, as we trace it is important that we take stock of the role women’s involvement, particularly from the women have played in its development, be it 1950’s, a pattern emerges that tells us a story political, social, economic or cultural. we dare not ignore in modern-day South Africa.

ocially cohesive society

HELEN Joseph led the march by more than 20 000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to protest to the then Prime Minister JG Strydom against the extension of Pass Laws to black women on August 9, 1956. | ANA Archives Continued

The 1950 era is singled out because that is when women became restless and defiant against the injustices they were experiencing in their daily lives. Even more important, those women organised themselves across racial, socio-economic standing and geographic location across South Africa.

There was a realisation that as women, regardless of whether they lived in urban or rural areas, there were hardships they were experiencing. To name a few, women had no legal standing in law; married women were the same legal person as their husbands; women had to fight to be enfranchised and they did not have automatic access to education.

That awareness began to draw women together on a platform of solidarity. The 1956 March to Pretoria was not an overnight haphazard event. It was a culmination of grass roots organising and having established trust in working together.

When the Pass Laws were introduced and the women witnessed and experIenced men being arrested, they mobilised against the unjust laws.

The 20 000 women’s march from all corners of South Africa was built on a principled foundation of challenging an injustice from a united front.

The women who led the march were Lillian Ngoyi, Rahima Moosa, Helen Joseph and Sophia Williams. South Africa is fortunate that Aunty Sophie de Bruyn is still alive and has featured in numerous interviews. These women were aware of the power of standing together, regardless of race and geographic location.

Sadly, today we seem to have regressed from that principled stand of non-racialism. Today, the slogan Wathint’

abafazi. Wathint’imbokodo is just that, a slogan. There are many challenges that women face in modern-day South Africa.

Challenges of poverty, poor education, joblessness, discrimination, patriarchy, gender-based violence, corruption, drugs, and more.

However, looking back at the response of women in the 1950’s, present-day women seem to have dropped the ball.

Apart from women in government who represent their political parties, there is no movement that is open to women in civil society. Women have regressed from deliberately creating spaces to freely associate, and have a conversation on what unites, than what divides. Women have become strangers to each other.

The recent events of the past three weeks are an indictment for omission and commission. Under the glare of the media and the world, women, and children for that matter, did not look good. Challenging economic situations need not lead to a sub-culture of looting, violence and destruction.

Women in particular need to contribute to addressing the prevailing socio-economic conditions, in a manner that will withstand the test of time.

Just as the 1956 women marched in solidarity for freedom and justice, modern-day South African women need to take charge and organise or work towards a socially transformed and cohesive society. There are missing voices that need to be heard outside Parliament.

While it is easy to organise events, what our country needs urgently are sustainable programmes by civil society to build communities we would like to live in. We owe it to ourselves, and our children to lift the banner that was lifted by women in the 1950s for our country to be saved.

This month, spare a thoug ROAD TO GENDER PARITY

SOUTH African Women’s month this year is celebrated under the banner of the global Generation Equality campaign. The campaign was started by the UN Women under the leadership of Phumzile MlamboNgcuka, to commemorate 25 years after the adoption of the Beijing Platform of Action, with its promise of real progress towards gender equality, at least in our life- FEBE POTGIETER-GQUBULE time. However, as the world ANC General Manager, former celebrated this milestone last AU Commission Deputy Chief year, studies showed that at of Staff and former SA the current pace of change, Ambassador to Poland it will take the world another 99.5 years before full gender equality is achieved.

UN Women further notes that not a single country has achieved gender equality.

“Multiple obstacles remain unchanged in law and culture. As a result, women remain undervalued, they continue to work more, earn less, have fewer choices, and experience multiple forms of violence at home and in public spaces.”

Globally and regionally, several indexes track changes over time in the achievement of gender equality.

One of the most widely used, because it reviews gender equality across three critical indices – political empowerment; economic participation and opportunity; educational attainment and health and survival – is the World Economic Forum’s annual Global Gender Gap Report.

In its 2021 report, after a year of the impact of Covid-19, it shockingly concluded that “another generation will have to wait for gender parity”.

So, whereas before Covid gender parity would take 99.6 years, a year later estimates are that we will only reach gender parity in 135.6 years.

The Generation Equality campaign is therefore a response to a clearly untenable trajectory. It advances, among other things, the demands for “equal pay, equal sharing of unpaid care and domestic work, an end to sexual harassment and all forms of violence”.

The African Development Bank has since 2015 also published among the few continent-wide gender indexes, covering 51 African countries. This index – published every three years – tracks three sets of indicators: equality in economic opportunities; equality in human development and equality in law and institutions.

The African Gender Equality index shows the need for such regional specific indices and the implications for policy. For example, the index spotlights the high proportion of African women who are food producers and are in the agricultural sector (over 70%); whilst customary land ownership continues to discriminate against women. The index therefore identifies land hunger as a major driver of women’s inequality in Africa.

As South Africa debates speeding up land reforms and redistribution, with the new Expropriation Bill and amendments to Section 25 of the Constitution top of mind, we should not fall into the trap of a gender neutral approach to land reform, which in effect would mean maintaining the unequal status quo and women’s continued exclusion from land ownership.

In addition, to improve agricultural productivity in the continent, women must be part of the modernisation of agriculture, through access to extension services and credit as well as markets, especially in the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

An interesting statistic is that up to 30% of businesses on the continent are owned by women, with as much as 62% of businesses in Cote d’Ivoire that are women-owned. This, the index surmised, is mainly because of women’s presence in the informal and small business sector, and their exclusion from the upper ranks – management and boards – of the formal sector. “Men”, the index reflected, “tend to manage medium-size and larger firms.”

Some of the sectoral figures are truly astonishing, for example in Kenya, out of 1341 registered engineers, only 43 are women. There are exceptions to this trend.

Namibia, Botswana and the Seychelles are highlighted as countries that at the time of the 2019 Index, had more women than men in managerial and professional positions.

Rwanda, which is doing well overall, has one of the lowest gender gaps in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Another positive is that Rwanda continues to lead the world with the highest number of women in its parliament, and there are today 11 African countries which have more than 30% women in their parliaments.

The Index also observes that across the continent, women are active in their communities, even though changes at leadership level are changing slowly.

The African Gender Equality Index issues what should be a clarion call for Generation Equality in Africa: “Women of this generation will define Africa’s destiny. A new generation of young women are reaching adulthood better educated than ever before, and ready to play active roles in their communities, the economy and in national leadership. They are doing so at a time of un-

ght for #Generationequality

WOMEN’S Month this year is celebrated under the banner of the global Generation Equality campaign. South Africa is home to a multitude of women with different cultures and traditions as demonstrated by Stacy Grundy (Scottish heritage), Sarita Mathur (Indian heritage), Liliane Haguma (Rwanda heritage) and Proceed Thob’sile Ngcobo (Zulu heritage) who are pictured in front of the artwork ‘Morphous ‘by Lionel Smit in Florida Fields, Durban. A new generation of women are ready to play an active role in leadership and the economy, but much more needs to be done to achieve gender equality, says the writer. | SHELLEY KJONSTAD (ANA)

precedented economic, social, environmental and technological change. It is a time when the role of African women is ripe for redefinition.”

A campaign like Generation Equality provides governments with clear areas for intervention to speed up gender equality and aid this redefinition.

As inter-governmental organisations, the UN and the

AU engage and challenge its member states. However, it is up to social and women’s movements at local, national and global level to advocate, push and campaign to ensure that the road to gender parity becomes much shorter.

Indeed, we should not give up on our demand for gender equality in our lifetime.

A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH THE REAL estate industry is slowly transforming into one in which “women are a force to be reckoned with”, says Amanda Cuba, director and chief operating officer of Re/Max of Southern Africa.

However, there is still a long way to go before women have a more equal place at the boardroom table.

“Re/Max was the first to open its doors to female agents back in 1973 when the brand launched in Denver, Colorado. Today, roughly 60% of our South African network is women. Women are also some of our highest earners.”

Cuba herself is an example of a successful woman within the Re/Max network, having worked her way up from the humble streets of Gugulethu to the executive team. And as the twin of another successful woman in business, she attributes her achievements to both the circumstances of her upbringing and the inspirational women who helped raise her.

“Our mom gave us the belief we could be anything that we wanted to be. She encouraged us to be adventure seekers and taught us that we are capable of anything that we put our minds to,” Cuba says.

Amanda Cuba

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