Mail & Guardian
Mail & Guardian
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Power of Women 2026 nominations are now open

The Mail & Guardian is calling for nominations for the Power of Women 2026, an initiative celebrating extraordinary women whose work, leadership, and ideas are shaping a stronger…

Does the friction around coalitions signal what’s to come in 2024 – politicians say no (Photo by Gallo Images/Papi Morake)

Legacy Foundations Impact

As South Africa's political landscape faces challenges from declining party leadership and a lack of evidence-based policy, legacy political foundations are emerging as critical…

AWCA looks to keep more women in the profession and move them into leadership

The African Women Chartered Accountants (AWCA) marks 24 years of advancing Black women in the profession, focusing on retaining talent, supporting career growth, and empowering…

Busi Mavuso

Leading beyond the limits of tradition

Women's Day holds deep significance for influential South African women who have shaped the country's political, business, and academic landscapes. It's a day to remember those…

Recognition: The author and her mother, Eva. Photo: Supplied

The women who hold us together

This Women's Day, we honour the remarkable women whose profound contributions often go unnoticed. From community builders to leaders, discover the individuals whose quiet…

Thobile Dlamini

Great hospitality is rarely about the room alone — it is about the experience, the people and the systems that make every guest feel they belong. Thobile Dlamini has built a…

Siphuxolo Mazwi

Few places carry the weight of history quite like Robben Island. For Siphuxolo Mazwi, preserving that legacy is about more than protecting the past — it is about ensuring each…

Khanyisela Dayi

Khanyisela Dayi, 34, believes leadership begins long before a title. For her, it starts by showing up where decisions are made, asking difficult questions and creating space for…

Nishka Hemrajh

As chief of staff at Antimatter, Nishka Hemrajh, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nishka-hemrajh/ Instagram: nishka.hemrajh) 29, is the chief executive's strategic thought partner…

Fezile Nqiwa

Long before he understood the power of business, Fezile Nqiwa understood the power of people. As a child, he watched strangers stop his father, the legendary Umhlobo Wenene FM…

Gerald Mariemuthoo

Money tells stories — and Gerald Mariemuthoo has built his career uncovering the ones criminals hope no one will read. At 35, the currency integrity investigator at the South…

Busisiwe Kamolane-Kgadima

Busisiwe Kamolane-Kgadima builds institutions that outlast them. As deputy director of the Centre for Applied Legal Studies (https://www.wits.ac.za/cals/) (CALS) at the…

Maureen Phambane

Mining begins with exploration, but its long-term success depends on something far less visible: trust. Maureen Phambane is helping ensure that the search for critical minerals…

Dr Shelly Mona

Engineering is often judged by the products it creates, but Dr Shelly Mona is equally focused on the opportunities it unlocks. At 35, she is helping turn research into real-world…

Boitumelo Thage

Boitumelo Thage has built a career around a simple but powerful conviction: leadership is measured not by the titles you hold, but by the lives you improve. Whether shaping…

Savannah Cozzi

For Savannah Cozzi, connection is not a soft skill — it is a catalyst for change. Whether she is bringing women together to build professional networks or creating educational…

Bongani Nicholas Ngomane

For Bongani Nicholas Ngomane, theatre does not end when the curtain falls. It lives on in the conversations it inspires, the ideas it challenges and the stories it preserves.…

Dimakatso Koketso Lekola

At 25, Dimakatso Koketso Lekola is building a career at the intersection of corporate governance and social impact. Working in the financial services sector, he supports risk,…

Joshua Harvey

Joshua Harvey is helping redefine what technology consulting looks like in Africa. As chief executive of Specno, he sits at the intersection of strategy, talent and innovation,…

Atlehang Molefe

Atlehang Molefe (https://www.linkedin.com/in/atlehang-m-0bb553113/), 27, is part of a new generation of scholars challenging how power, policy and technology shape everyday life.…