By Anga Jamela.
The 15th Zanele Mbeki International Women’s Day Dialogue brought together leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers to explore Social Business as a true catalyst for women-led development in Africa.
Programme Directed brilliantly by Nicole Morris, the two days were filled with sharp insights and grounded realities. We moved past theoretical advocacy into the mechanics of implementation. We explored how to institutionalise social capital and ensure women-led enterprises are backed by strong, bankable models.
Highlights from the room included the following realities.
- Redefining Impact: Speakers like Dudu Makhari reminded us that social enterprises must generate profit to be sustainable. We must move beyond dependency toward true enterprise and dignity.
- Real-World Evidence: We heard from trailblazers across the continent. Tinyiko Simbine of GirlCode, Ntombi of Shiyiwa Healthcare, and Madhvi Dalal of PadMad Kenya showed us exactly what it looks like to build financially viable models that solve structural challenges.
- The Power of Connection: Impact rarely happens in isolation. The most powerful moments often happened between sessions. Over tea and lunch women shared their journeys, sought mentorship, and built the cross-connections necessary for sustainable ecosystems.
Our Three Commitments for Action
We cannot simply open the door to the rooms of power. As Mama Gertrude Mongella reminded us, we have to get inside and rearrange the furniture. To do this, the Thabo Mbeki Foundation is stepping forward with three clear commitments.
- We will drive uniquely African scholarship into the Social Business model in partnership with the WDB Trust and UNISA.
- We are calling for the establishment of the African Women’s Social Business Coalition to provide patient capital and market access to women-led enterprises.
- We are anchoring this philosophy permanently within the forthcoming Women-Led Development Institute.
The 3rd Leadership Soirée
If the Dialogue centred ideas, the 3rd Leadership Soirée, on Friday, centred honour.
After two days of rigorous discussion, the Soirée gave us the chance to pause and recognise the women whose lives and work have made so much of today’s progress possible.
This year, the Foundation had the honour of celebrating Mama Gloria Serobe and Mama Gertrude Mongella.
Both represent a kind of leadership that lasts. Leadership that builds. Leadership that opens the way for others. Leadership that leaves institutions behind, not only memories.
Ms Gloria Serobe has helped reshape the landscape of economic empowerment in South Africa. Her life’s work reminds us that finance and enterprise can become instruments of liberation when guided by courage and conviction.
Amb. Gertrude Mongella remains one of the continent’s great political and diplomatic voices. From Beijing to the Pan-African Parliament, she has carried the aspirations of African women into spaces of continental and global significance.
Honouring them was not a ceremonial extra. It was part of the Foundation’s wider commitment to recognise, preserve, and elevate the stories of women whose work has altered the course of our societies.
Tune In: The African Renaissance Podcast.
We are thrilled to extend the spirit of the Soirée into your week. Today at 15h00, Dr. Mbuyiseni Ndlozi sits down with our honouree Amb. Gertrude Mongella for Episode 21 of the #africanrenaissancepodcast.
Hearing directly from a leader who so profoundly shaped the global discourse on gender equality is an absolute privilege. We highly encourage you to make time for this one.