The Leading Women Summit is an event platform that brings together a unique collection of female leaders and trail-blazers from accross Africa and the world.
REGISTER FOR FREE SPONSORWomen
have aided in the advancement of business, politics, and cultural
transformation to where they are today. Since the inception of the Leading
Women Summit, Forbes Woman Africa has marked International Women’s Day as an
annual celebration to honor and commemorate the achievements and resilience of
women across Africa and the world.
The
high-powered annual event brings together a unique collection of female leaders
from business, government, media and entertainment to promote inclusion, gender
diversity and bridge the inequality gap.
In honour of
International Women’s Day, FORBES WOMAN AFRICA in partnership with Mastercard,
will host the 7th FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit and Awards.
The title, theme and agenda for 2022 Resetting
Everything, The New Face of Leadership will reflect the times, trends and
topics leading pandemic recovery in Africa and the world. Unlocking new
thinking after two years dominated by economic exasperation and exclamatory
marks.
The summit will largely focus on the new leadership
mindset, the diversity and the playbook needed for every aspect of life, work,
art, business and money as also the new metaverse expected to level the playing
field for the female workforce. It will be about reimagining, rebuilding and
resetting the pathways of change to unleash the power of all.
Countries
Duration
Attendees
Speakers
The Leading Women Summit is a
two-day virtual
programme
taking place on
March 8-9
where attendees will enjoy a variety of keynote conversations, panel
discussions, one-on-one interviews and
in the spotlight performances.
*Note that all scheduled times are in Central African Time (CAT). Daily
Mainstage Sessions 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM CAT
Harnaaz Sandhu
Miss Universe 2021
Renuka Methil
Managing Editor, Forbes Africa
Tania Habimana
Anchor, CNBC Africa
Dr Soumya Swaminathan
Chief Scientist, World Health Organization
Founder, Black Mermaid Foundation
Miss Botswana 2010/ First Princess Miss World 2010
Area Head, West Africa, Mastercard
Broadcaster and Financial Journalist
Shalin Sirkar
Psychic Healer & Filmmaker, Owner of Kismet Rising & Chalia Films
Joana Gyan Cudjoe
CEO, Golden Empire Legacy Limited
Divya Vasant
Founder & CEO, AMAZI
Roberta Naicker
Managing Director, ABN Group
Phuti Mahanyele-Dabangwa
South Africa CEO, Naspers
Yavi Madurai
Digital Transformation Strategist & Executive Director, PABWA
Jane Karuku
Group Managing Director & CEO, East African Breweries Limited
Dr Shaheenah Dawood
Professor of Clinical Oncology, Dubai Health Care City
Elizabeth Wathuti
Kenyan Environmentalist and Climate Activist
Mabusha Petronella Nyelisani
Production Geologist, at Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore Kolomela Mine
Makobo Simelane
Business Execution Plan Specialist at Anglo American’s Kumba Iron Ore Kolomela Mine
Mpho Sebina
Melodist, Singer & Songwriter
Dayo Ademola
Managing Director, Nigeria: Branch International
Nomsa Philiso
Executive Head, Programming: MultiChoice Group
Linda Mthenjane
Clinical Psychologist & Managing Director, The Space Between Us
Louisa Mojela
Group Chief Executive Officer, WIPHOLD
Neema Iyer
Founder & Executive Director, Pollicy: Uganda
Beatrice Cornacchia
Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, EEMEA: Mastercard
Sarah Rice
Chief People Officer, Skynamo
Dr Diane Karusisi
CEO, Bank of Kigali
Odunayo Eweniyi
Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer, Piggyvest
Roberta Coci
Co-founder and Director at Latitudes Online
Louise Claasen
Programme Director & Executive Fellow Henley Business School, Africa
Bethlehem Tilahun Alemu
Serial Entrepreneur / Founding Managing Director & Chairperson, SELAM BANK S.C
Ibada Ahmed
Director, Iron Capital
Tshepo Wareus
Member, Kweneng District Main Land Board, Botswana
Monica Geingos
First Lady of Namibia
Lou Llobell
Zimbabwean/Spanish actress
Jana Aspeling
Artist and Designer
Nyari Samushonga
CEO, WeThinkCode
Temwa Msiska
Orion Africa
H.E Samia Suluhu Hassan
President, United Republic of Tanzania
Tarneem Saeed
CEO and Co-Founder, alsoug.com
Fiona Muthoni
Anchor, CNBC Africa
Chido Cleopatra Mpemba
AU's Special Envoy on Youth
Tatjana Schoenmaker
South African Olympic Swimmer
Mark Elliott
Division President, Mastercard Southern Africa
Clare Akamanzi
CEO, Rwanda Development Board
Josephine Ankomah-Anan
Group Executive Commercial Banking, Ecobank Transnational
Joy Des Fountain
Founder at myFanPark Inc
Shabana Basij-Rasikh
Afghan educator, humanitarian, and women's rights champion
Fifi Peters
Anchor, CNBC Africa
Amini Kajunju
Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Foundation EJS Centre
Salima Rhadia Mukansanga
CAF/FIFA Professional Referee, RWANDA
Previous Speakers
Folorunsho Alakija
Entrepreneur & Vice Chair of Famfa Oil, Nigeria
Zozibini Tunzi
Miss Universe 2019
Gugu Mbatha-Raw
British / Hollywood Actress
Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng
Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town
Saray Khumalo
South African Explorer and Africa’s first black woman to summit Mount Everest
Dr Quarriasha Abdool Karim
South African Epidemiologist & Associate Scientific Director of CAPRISA
Emma Theofelus
Lawyer and Namibian Deputy Minister of Information and Communication Technology
Patricia Scotland - Abbasi
Commonwealth Secretary General to Africa
Bisila Bokoko
Spanish-African-American Business Woman
Sheikha Hend Faisal Al-Qassimi
Royal Princess, Emirati Business Woman, Author and Artist (UAE)
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala
Former Nigerian Finance Minister and first woman and first African Director-General of the World Trade Organization
Vanessa Nakate
Ugandan Climate Justice Activist
Salima Visram
Founder of Samara and Soular Backpack
Zola Budd Pieterse
South African a middle-distance and long-distance runner
Shirley Machaba
CEO of PWC South Africa
Renuka Methil
Managing Editor of FORBES WOMAN AFRICA
Gita Gopinath
Economic Counsellor and Director of Research Department, IMF
Dr Oby Ezekwesili
Senior Economic Adviser, Africa Economic Development Policy Initiative (AEDPI)
Piwo Nyanda
SA Women’s Rugby Player
Ruwayda Redfearn
Deloitte Africa Board Chair
Casey Moodley
Registered Nurse, working in a Covid unit
Olga Arara-Kimani
Global Head: CABM AME and Internal Communications, Standard Chartered Bank
Naleli Rugege
Fashion Designer, Performing Poet and Stylist (based in Kigali)
Natasha Muhoza
Rwandan Poet/Storyteller and Lawyer
Vivian Onano
Social Entrepreneur & Humanitarian
Tanya van Lill
CEO of Southern African Venture Capital and Private Equity Association (SAVCA)
Lianne Williams
Head of Marketing: Vuma
Dr Ameenah Gurib - Fakim
Biodiversity Scientist, Founder of the Centre for Pytotherapy Research & Former President of Mauritius
Abi Mustapha-Maduakor
CEO, African Private Equity and Venture Capital Association
Fara Ashiru Jituboh
Co-founder & CEO/CTO, Okra Nigeria
Shirley Machaba
CEO of PWC South Africa
Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo
Commonwealth Secretary General to Africa
Advocate Jackie Nagtegaal
CEO of Lipco Law for All
Oti Mabuse
Dancer, South Africa
Ilwad Elman
Somali-Canadian Activist & Director, Elman Peace Centre, Mogadishu, 2021 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee
Angeli Arora
Head of Private Equity & Investment Funds, Dentons South Africa
Madjiguene Sock
Partner at Dalberg Advisors & Director of Dalberg West Africa, Dakar, Senegal
Cornelia Kruah-Togba
Women’s Rights Activist (Liberia)
Langa Madonko
Co- Founder of Summit Africa a Niche Alternative Investment Manager
Ann Cairns
Executive Vice Chair, Mastercard
Keneilwe Gwabeni
Chief Information Officer: Telkom Business and Yep
Raisibe Morathi
Chief Financial Officer, Vodacom Group Limited
Ofentse Pitse
Orchestra Conductor, South Africa
Jackie Chimhanzi
CEO, African Leadership Institute
Ebehijie Momoh
Country Manager and Area Business Head, West Africa, Mastercard
Nokuthula Mkhize
Registered Nurse at CAPRISA
Yvonne Ike
Managing Director, Head of Sub Saharan Africa (Ex-RSA), Bank of America
Shama Kheraj
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of UpStudio Africa
Alek Wek
British-Sudanese Model
Siddharth Chatterjee
United Nations’ Representative in China
Clare Akamanzi
International Trade and Investment Lawyer, currently the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board and a Cabinet Member
Shudufhadzo Musida
Miss South Africa 2020
Bonang Matheba
South African television presenter, radio personality, businesswoman, producer, model and philanthropist.
Bogolo Kenewendo
Botswana global economist and politician
Bafana Khumalo
Co-Founder, Sonke
Botsang Morobe
Associate Principal, Public Investment Corporation
Caitlin Rooskrantz
South African Artistic Gymnast
DJ Zinhle
South African DJ
Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma
Former Chairperson, African Union (AU) Commission
Dr Jaishree Naidoo
Paediatric Radiologist and CEO, Envisionit Deep AI
Dr Judy Dlamini
South African Businesswoman and Author
Dr Naledi Pandor
South African politician, educator and academic serving as the Minister of International Relations and Cooperation
Phindokuhle Mohlala
Group Executive Human , Resources, PPC
Ela Gandhi
Activist and grand-daughter of Mahatma Gandhi
Elisabeth Moreno
French-Cape Verdean businesswoman and politician
Graca Machel
Former First Lady of South Africa
Ibukun Awosiwa
Nigerian business woman, motivational speaker, and an author
Irene Charnley
Former trade unionist and businesswoman from South Africa
Charmaine Mabuza
CEO, Ithuba
Lebohang Lebogo
First Drone Pilot, SANBS
Leila Fourie
CEO, JSE
Leila Lopes
Angolan actress, TV host, Model and Beauty queen
Leleti Khumalo
South African Actress
Lira Molapo
South African Singer
Mafahle Mareletse
Group Vice President Turkey, Middle East & Africa & General Manager, Avon
Malaika Uwamahoro
Rwandan-born actress, poet, singer, and social justice activist
Nkiru Olumide - Ojo
Nigerian female author, columnist, development speaker and technocrat
Nozuko Teto
Director, Adesso Enterprises
Nqaba Ndiweni
Director, PWC
Nyekachi Douglas
Miss World Africa Miss World Top Model 2019/20
Celebrating the courageous accomplishments of female leaders whose dedication and selfless impact will inspire future generations
The Forbes Woman Africa Awards celebrates the continent’s most inspiring women excelling in different sectors and industries across Africa. These are women who have dismantled stereotypes to create a new narrative in entertainment, sport, business, finance and science. They have challenged authority to bring about change and created a new discourse that will enable future generations to live in a better and more equal world.