Sanitary Products Manufacturer and Agri-Tech Startup Win 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards

Sanitary Products Manufacturer and Agri-Tech Startup Win 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards. A women-owned sanitary products manufacturer and an agricultural technology startup have been recognised at the 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards for their contributions to entrepreneurship, innovation and business growth.

Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa, founder of Lindiwe Sanitary Pads, received the Bold Woman Award, while Pretty Kubyane, co-founder and technology lead of the eFama App, was named the winner of the Bold Future Award.

According to the organisers, Nkuna-Kgopa’s business has grown from a home-based operation into what is described as Africa’s first large-scale sanitary pad manufacturing facility owned and operated entirely by women.

The Centurion-based factory produces approximately 800 sanitary pads per minute and employs 36 permanent staff members, with employment increasing to 93 during peak production periods.

The company exports its products to 11 African countries through partnerships with women entrepreneurs. It also stated that it has supplied more than 100,000 schoolgirls with free sanitary products during 2026.

According to the company, it secured R27 million in funding after initially facing challenges in attracting investment.

Kubyane was recognised for her work on the eFama App, a digital marketplace launched in 2023 that connects farmers with buyers across South Africa.

The platform uses technology, artificial intelligence and data-driven tools to support farmers in making planting and production decisions based on market demand.

Organisers said the platform currently supports more than 40,000 farmers and is aimed at improving agricultural supply chains.

The business has also received backing from organisations including Google, Meta and Amazon.

The Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Awards recognise women entrepreneurs who have built scalable businesses while creating broader economic opportunities through their enterprises.

The programme is now in its fifth year in South Africa and its 54th year globally. It forms part of an international initiative recognising women entrepreneurs across 27 countries.

As part of their recognition, the winners will join Veuve Clicquot’s international network of entrepreneurs, which offers opportunities for global networking and business engagement.