Winners Of Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Cape Town Announced
Winners Of Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Cape Town Announced. Topco Media, a leading media company focused on empowering entrepreneurs, is thrilled to announce the winners of the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Cape Town event. This marks the first stop in the EmpowHER Development Series, with the second having taken place in Durban and the final event to follow in the North West in August.
The Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER series aims to build communities and provide networking opportunities for aspiring women entrepreneurs. By equipping women with the skills and knowledge needed to drive economic development, this series empowers them to build successful enterprises in South Africa. The Cape Town event has set the stage for a series of inspiring sessions featuring successful Top Women Award winners and entrepreneurs.
The Cape Town event, held at The Hyatt Regency Cape Town on Thursday, 25 May 2023, was a platform for an exceptional lineup of renowned speakers who captivated the audience with their valuable insights and experiences. Attendees were inspired by the industry expertise and knowledge shared by Sheila Yabo, head of ecosystem development for Ayoba, MTN’s SuperApp, former head of UCT GSB’s Entrepreneurship Centre, and SA country director for University Impact. They were also privileged to hear from Adri Williams, managing director of Khayelitsha Cookies and recipient of the prestigious Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER award in 2022.
One of the standout moments of the Cape Town event was the highly anticipated pitching den, where ten exceptional entrepreneurs, carefully selected in advance, had the opportunity to showcase their promising business models. These talented individuals delivered captivating three-minute elevator pitches, followed by engaging five-minute Q&A sessions with a panel of respected judges. The esteemed judging panel consisted of Naledzani Mosomane, the head of enterprise development at Standard Bank, Fikile Kgobe, the lead global markets SA (BCB/PPB) at Standard Bank, Fiona Wakelin, the group editor at Topco Media, Adri Williams, the managing director of Khayelitsha Cookies, and Zinzi Magoda, a lecturer at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).
The winners from all three regional events, including Cape Town, Durban and Sun City, will be attending the Standard Bank Top Women Awards in November 2023, taking place in Johannesburg. The ultimate winner will be bestowed with the highly sought-after trophy and an impressive cash prize of R50,000.
“We are thrilled with the tremendous success of the Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER event. The caliber of finalists was exceptional, showcasing the incredible talent and innovation among women entrepreneurs in South Africa. Congratulations to all the winners for their remarkable achievements and for inspiring us with their outstanding business models. We are proud to celebrate their success and look forward to their continued growth and contributions to the business landscape,” commends Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media.
The winners are:
Winner: Denise Stubbs – Thokozani Winelands Investments PTY LTD
First runner-up: Mahlatse Mamaila – INO-Biodiesel
Second runner-up: Fezeka Stuurman – Cultiver Group
