EmpowaWomen Celebrates a Decade of Leadership and Enters Its Next Chapter
The successful 10th Annual EmpowaWomen Leadership Summit sets the stage for the EmpowaWomen Global Awards and the next generation of women through EmpowaHer.
EmpowaWomen has marked a decade of advancing women’s leadership and economic participation following the successful 10th Annual EmpowaWomen Leadership Summit, held in Johannesburg on 29 August 2026.
Under the theme “Accelerating Growth. Transforming Economies.”, the Summit brought together C-suite executives, senior professionals, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, creatives and emerging changemakers for conversations centred on leadership, opportunity and economic transformation.
But the Summit was never intended to be the end of the journey. It marked the continued evolution of EmpowaWomen and the relationships, opportunities and momentum created through the platform far beyond a single day.
“The success of the 10th Annual EmpowaWomen Leadership Summit showed the power of bringing women together around meaningful conversations, opportunity and shared ambition, and now carries that energy forward, creating a community where women can continue to connect, collaborate, open doors for one another and shape the next chapter of women’s leadership,” said Bonnie Maponya, Acting Managing Executive, EmpowaWomen.
The Journey Continues
One of the defining expressions of this next chapter is the EmpowaWomen Global Awards.
The Awards are more than a ceremony of recognition. They represent the rewriting of Herstory, celebrating women who are architects of power, influence, enterprise, culture and societal progress, alongside allies whose leadership actively creates pathways for women to rise.
The 2026 EmpowaWomen Global Awards winners are:
Dr Kina Amber Nhlengethwa, Acting General Manager: Radio, PCS, Fortune Combo and Channel Africa, Metro FM, won the EmpowaWomen Most Promising Female Leader Award 2026.
Dr Phathiswa Magopeni Tshangana, Executive Director, Press Council of South Africa, won the EmpowaWomen Media Excellence Award 2026.
Amanda Dambuza, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Uyandiswa, won the EmpowaWomen Humanitarian Vanguard Award 2026.
Gugu Mthembu, Chief Marketing Officer, Telkom, won the EmpowaWomen CMO Excellence Award 2026.
Professor Maurice Radebe, Faculty Director in Commerce, Law and Management, won the EmpowaWomen Ally Award 2026.
Khanyi Mlambo, Managing Director, Lighthouse Leadership Advisory, won the EmpowaWomen Sustainability Champion Award 2026.
The Awards reflect a central conviction of EmpowaWomen: women should not merely be acknowledged for participating in economies and institutions; their role in building, transforming and leading them must be visible and celebrated.
From EmpowaWomen to EmpowaHer
The EmpowaWomen journey continues to grow.
As EmpowaWomen celebrates women shaping industries and communities today, EmpowaHer extends that journey to the next generation.
EmpowaHer is focused on young women aged 18 to 34, connecting them to practical skills, leadership development, entrepreneurship, career opportunities, mentorship and networks that support meaningful economic participation and growth.
It represents a continuation of the EmpowaWomen journey, ensuring that the experience, access and influence of today’s women leaders create pathways for those coming behind them.
The next chapter is therefore not simply about another Summit. It is about building on the work of EmpowaWomen, from the women celebrated through the EmpowaWomen Global Awards to the emerging generation that will be developed and connected through EmpowaHer.
The Summit may have concluded. The next chapter is only getting started.
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