South Africa’s pursuit of equity in male-dominated spaces require women leaders who are unapologetically women instead of women leaders who mimic their male counterparts, according to Wits Convocation president Kgomotso Mufamadi.
Womens Appreciation Event Panel: Wits University Masters student,Karabo Damane,Ayanda Ntanda, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Head of risk management,and Ms Baleka Mbete, former speaker of parliament,and Kgomotso Mufamadi Wits Convocation President. Photo: Milton Makgothoma
Wits students, and alumni gathered at Solomon Mahlangu House to discuss the importance of representation across all disciplines
The event encouraged of a reimagining of representation, and what that looks like for women in leadership
The event encouraged young woman to occupy spaces as their whole selves, instead of compartmentalizing and code-switching per environment requirement.
In recognition of Women’s month, the Wits Post-Graduate Association (PGA) office, in collaboration with Wits Alumni Relations, and Wits Doctoral Academy hosted a women’s month appreciation event aimed at celebrating women leaders on August 29th at the Film and TV cinema at Solomon Mahlangu House to unpack the importance of meaningful representation across disciplines and sectors.
Among the panel was Ayanda Ntanda, National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Head of risk management, Kgomotso Mufamadi Wits Convocation President, and Ms Baleka Mbete, former speaker of parliament.
Karabo Damane opened the evening with a powerful chant “Igama lamakhosikazi malibongwe”, translated to‘May the name of women be appreciated, and thanked’,aimed at giving meaning to the Women’s Appreciation event.
Damane then shared that while representation politics continue to form part of an integral part of breaking down barriers, South Africa still grapples with an impactful reimagining of women in leadership positions.
Honourable Mbete argues that representation is but a consequence of people not being left alone to exist as they were, “I would have wanted to continue with what I came across when I was five years old… my father playing the piano, teaching me songs”, she said.
“Even with what you are referring to as representation politics… we have been grappling with racism, sexism, and you had feminism to grapple with sexism. All of that was in aim of something that was an agenda coming from elsewhere”, she continued.
Damane then segued into a discussion of what this activism could look like for women in a patriarchal society, where they are constantly pushed to be activists. Mufamadi believes it is quite simple. “One of the things we need to think about is reimagining work because we have imported what work should look like…and we have compartmentalized ourselves in this way, and its restrictive because at some point there appears to be some choice we have to make between our families and our careers”, said Mufamadi.
She shared an anecdote about her boss at one of her first jobs allowing her to leave earlier at work because she made use of a taxi, and often her working hours were quite long. She shared that this often came across as special treatment to her colleagues who had cars, not acknowledging that that provision allowed her to continue working from home. This is an indication of what reimagining work for women to simply exists as all their roles could look like.
The evening ended in a series of storytelling from their audience of how they continue to exist as young ladies in their professions in a way that does not mimic their male counterparts.
As storytelling continued to emerge from the audience, the central message to young women is clear: lead as women unapologetically, because impactful leadership requires authenticity.
FEATURED IMAGE:Womens appreciation panel. Photo: Milton Makgothoma
The racial and gender disparities in corporate South Africa still embody Apartheid stereotypes for some black female professionals.
Wits University students and Chartered Accountants gathered to discuss existing in Corporate SA as a black woman.
The event highlighted the racial and gender disparity black women still face in the private sector.
The event encouraged mentorship, and preparation as black young women continue to break barriers.
The stark reality of gender inequality 69 years after the Women’s Day march paints a daunting image of black women’s progression in society, according to the experiences of the black female executives speaking at the She Means Business event held at Chris Seabrooke Musical Hall on Saturday, August 1.
The Women’s Day event, held by the Wits chapter of the African Women Chartered Accountants, in partnership with the Wits Accounting School Council, aimed to address how to exist as a woman of colour in corporate spaces.
Personal testimonies of black female heads of departments, including PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and Chapu Charted Accountants brought the event to life, addressing the resilience black women working in corporate require, particularly aspiring chartered accountants, to produce quality work in pressure-driven environments.
The evening featured a series of compelling addresses from Learning Development Manager at PWC, Lesego Rankou, Chapu CA CEO, Ncumisa Mkunqwana, former NYDA CFO Khuthadzo Manana, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Cluster Head, Portia Mkhabela, and Investec CA Trainee Sanelisiwe Sibiya.
Lesego Rankou opened the evening with a powerful phrase that gave hope of light at the end of the tunnel for black women existing in corporate SA. “There is no corporate ladder, it is a jungle gym. This is because there are so many layers to corporate that are yet to be explored,” said Rankou.
The She Means Business event also featured insightful contributions from the panellists about the importance of preparation and the production of quality work, as means to continue to dispel the myths about black women in society being carried through in the workspace.
She Means Business Panelist: Sanelisiwe Sibiya, Khuthadzo Manana, Portia Mkhabela, and Ncumisa Mkunqwana Photo: Supplied/Ndivho Shilling
Rankou shared that being an assertive black woman in corporate South Africa is often misunderstood as aggression. “The reality is corporate did not have people who look like me and you in mind in its infant stages, so often we have to constantly break barriers,” shared Rankou.
This means that often black women existing in these spaces are torn between showing up as the truest version of themselves, or shrinking their personalities to be more likeable to non-African men and women in these spaces.
“Women like me who are more extroverted are referred to as “abantu abaphaphayo” (people who are forward), when existing in these spaces,” shared former NYDA CFO Khuthadzo Manana.
Manana also shared that it is important to show up as your authentic self in the context of the space you exist in. She referred to how one cannot show up as rude and disrespectful at work and claim authenticity in that context. Manana added that this is because such claims often further stereotype black women as aggressors.
The evening ended with the panellists sharing the importance of emotional resilience in spaces like Corporate SA, where there are systemic barriers that make it harder for women of colour to authentically exist. The panellists then rounded up the attendees across the room for prayer, emphasising spiritual resilience as a crucial factor to navigating and breaking through these barriers.
*CORRECTION: Article updated on August 7 to correct a typing error of Chapu SA to Chapu CA; blurb shortened and generalised.
FEATURED IMAGE: She Means Business panellists banner including: Lesego Rankou, Khuthadzo Manana, Portia Mkhabela, Sanelisiwe Sibiya, and Ncumisa Mkunqwana. Photo: Supplied/Ndivho Shilling
As the call for women to lead intensifies, will it be heeded or lost in a numbers game?
The question of true women empowerment versus tokenism, giving an appearance of equity by using underrepresented group, has taken the forefront. This follows dozens of young women, forming part of the 2024/25 Student Representative Council (SRC) provisional list ahead of the student governance elections.
The initial call for women to lead in student governance at Wits University is usually advertised as being based on governance experience and constituency representation. But in reality, some argue that ‘pretty privilege’ is what some use to their advantage to garner votes.
An example of this is how in the early stages of the SRC elections campaign last year, someone repeatedly told me: “Sit down, don’t worry, Wits’ students are dumb, they will just see a pretty face and vote… o tsene (you’re in) Jack”. That comment still bothers me to this day. It made me question whether I had enough substance, or if my face would do everything my student engagement couldn’t?
A recent instance that stuck with me is Economic Freedom Fighter’s (EFF) member of Parliament, Naledi Chirwa’s apology and fine for missing the budget speech due to her four-month infant falling ill. To many this raised the question of whether the party uses young woman for the portrayal of empowerment while sexist practices inform party practices. Others argued that Chirwa, a mother or not is to be held accountable against the organisation’s disciplinary measures. Her work and contributions doing little to shield her in the moment.
In the Wits context, after nearly six years without a female president, and majority female executives, the 2023/24 SRC elected a female president in Bukisa Boniswa.
Although many applauded with the move, others questioned if women were leading in these spaces genuinely, or whether it was a numbers game to get votes, using charm over policy positions.
Reflecting on presidential candidates in the last six years, the likes of Sthembiso Dabula, Lesego Louw, Tshiamo Chuma come to mind. They were relegated to supporting roles, when they were arguably better candidates.
Looking closely at Louw, the 21/22 SRC deputy president, she launched the period poverty campaign that saw the installation of pad dispensers on campus and made it possible for Wits students to access free pads from the Click’s Foundation. A huge win for women on campus, a presidential win I would argue.
Now, those thinking about the 2024.25 leadership structure are weighing up Boniswa’s failures and successes, using them as a barometer to gauge whether women are “worthy” of another chance to lead. Will merit be trump basic equity markers or not?
And so, lies the issue of being a women in leadership, one is not sure if people support you for your substance, activism, leadership style, or whether you just look pretty enough to be on the ballot.
FEATURED IMAGE: Anganathi Jack,2024 Wits Vuvuzela Journalist. Photo: FilelLeon Sadiki
Since her announcement as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille has dominated national headlines. In this bonus episode of We Should Be Writing podcast, hosts Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto dissect a media meet-and-greet with the mayoral hopeful. From her extensive political résumé to her controversial public utterance, we examine why the Democratic Alliance has chosen Hellen Zille as their candidate for the 2027 local mayoral elections. Additionally, […]
