Prof Liesl Zühlke: Global acclaim for placing children at the centre of heart disease research
By Jessie Taylor When Professor Liesl Zühlke was named the 2026 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Award Laureate for Africa and the Arab States, it placed a spotlight on decades of research aimed at improving the lives of children and families affected by heart disease. Prof Zühlke, a paediatric cardiologist, researcher and […]
Workplace wellness needs healthy leadership
By Sue Ramauthar Employees are expected to move more, eat better, manage stress, prioritise their mental health and take greater responsibility for their wellbeing. But there is a fundamental question we need to ask: Are their leaders doing the same? A healthy workplace culture cannot be built from the bottom up. It starts at […]
Countdown to the Future of HR Conference 2026
HR leaders are being asked to solve some of the toughest challenges facing organisations today: skills shortages, retention, AI disruption, leadership gaps and shifting workplace culture. But meaningful change rarely comes from asking people to simply change. It comes from building the conditions, systems and culture that make change possible. The Future of HR […]
Standard Bank Haley Fletcher Top Women Business Leader of the Year 2025
By Shumirai Chimombe Heart-led. High-performing. Unstoppable “Akhona Qengqe is a force of transformative leadership. One of Africa’s most influential business trailblazers who leads with both heart and impact. As general manager of KFC Africa, she stands at the helm of one of the continent’s most dynamic consumer brands, steering it toward unprecedented growth […]
Key conference take-away – Systems, not just successes, must be redesigned for women-led growth
The Standard Bank Top Women Conference 2026 closed on 9 September at the Sandton Convention Centre after two days that pushed past inspiration toward hard economic argument, naming what stands between women and the growth they’re already generating, and what it will take, in policy and in practice, to remove it. Held under the […]
Leadership in marketing and business – women redefining brand success
By Ziphindiwe Ngcobo, Department Executive for Marketing, Isuzu Motors South Africa For too long, leadership in marketing and business was measured by one standard: dominance. The loudest voice, the boldest claim, the fastest path to the top. Success was linear, individual, and loud. That model is changing. Women are leading much of this […]
When women carry responsibility without authority
By Maria Mothibeli, Head of Operations at Southern Power Maintenance South African companies spend a great deal of time thinking about leadership pipelines, succession and the people they need to take the business forward. Yet some of that leadership may already be inside the organisation, in women carrying significant responsibility but not always recognised […]
The best networking comes from a place of authenticity
By Leago Takalani, Chief Executive Officer: Luvhone Engineering & Consulting Partners Networking is a business essential – and it’s most effective when it’s approached as a human interaction, not a business transaction. Building lasting relationships that cultivate interpersonal and professional relationships that have an impact on economic development is essential in the modern […]
Leadership is about sharing, not protecting, what you know.
By Fazila Bismilla, Director at FazMedia. For me, leadership has never simply been about holding a position or having a title. It is about having a vision, understanding your purpose and creating opportunities for others to grow alongside you. Having spent more than two decades in the media industry, I have had the […]
10 strategies for excellence and healthy boundaries for women leaders
By Kathryn Main, businesswoman and business coach South Africa, a nation striving for equality and inclusivity, recognises the pivotal role women play in driving progress across all sectors. For women stepping into or already navigating leadership roles, excelling and establishing firm boundaries are crucial for their success and the well-being of their teams. […]