Meet The 2024 Santam Women Of The Future Finalists

Meet The 2024 Santam Women Of The Future Finalists. Santam, South Africa’s leading short-term insurer, in association with Fairlady and Truelove magazines, is thrilled to announce the finalists for the 10th annual Santam Women of the Future Awards. This event honours women entrepreneurs who are making significant contributions to the South African economy and society, demonstrating innovation, resilience and leadership.

This year’s finalists have been selected from a diverse pool of talented candidates, and reflect the dynamic spirit and entrepreneurial excellence of South African women. These extraordinary women are leading the way in various industries and are poised to shape the future.

Following an extensive selection process involving the review of several entries, a distinguished panel of judges has chosen the nine finalists. The judges presiding over the awards this year are Professor Thuli Madonsela (director of the Centre for Social Justice in the Faculty of Law and a professor of law occupying the Law Trust Research Chair in Social Justice at Stellenbosch University), Nondumiso Mabece (Santam Head of Brand), Dawn Nathan-Jones (entrepreneur and CEO of Over the Rainbow), Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe (CEO of Quadcare), Suzy Brokensha (Fairlady editor-in-chief) and Mbali Soga (Truelove editor-in-chief).

“As Santam, we are proud of this initiative, which seeks to provide women in business with the tools to succeed and level the playing field. We see the Women of the Future Awards as a means to recognise and showcase the incredible role played by women entrepreneurs in helping to solve societal problems, while also driving sustainable economic growth in South Africa. We believe it’s our responsibility to help promote local enterprises to survive and thrive, especially in these tough economic times.” – Gugu Mtetwa, group chief operating officer, Santam

Woman of the Future

These three entrepreneurs have businesses that are more than 1,000 days old and are well on their way to establishing an extensive enterprise.

• Glynn Mashonga of Globescope – Globescope offers a comprehensive portfolio of security services and is setting benchmarks in the industry with its pricing and service excellence. The company delivers state-of-the-art security and surveillance solutions.
• Lilian Kistan of Tekwecomm – Lilian bought the struggling telecommunications company Tekwecomm and turned it into a success. The company provides a variety of specialised services and products tailored for the telecommunications sector, and recently branched out into the steel fabrication industry, offering support to the construction sector.
• Shantelle Long-Booysen of Elim Spa Products – Elim Spa Products formulates and manufactures products for medical pedicures. The company exports its products to various countries, including to Australia and New Zealand, and holds registrations of all their formulas in the UK, EU, Dubai and Saudi Arabia, and with the United States Food and Drug Administration agency.

Social Entrepreneur

These three entrepreneurs have non-profits that have survived the first 1,000 days, and are making a real difference in their communities.

• Candice Potgieter of The Unlimited Child – This non-profit company addresses early childhood development (ECD) interventions. By training ECD practitioners and supporting ECD centres, the organisation empowers women to run viable micro-enterprises and ensures that children in their care are school-ready. The Unlimited Child now aids more than two million children and 5,000 micro-enterprises across South Africa, Lesotho, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Yemen.
• Lamise Inglis of iKasi Creative – Public benefit organisation iKasi Creative addresses the underrepresentation of marginalised voices in the media industry. With offices in Thembalethu, George and Bellville, and recently expanding into the Eastern Cape, iKasi Creative prepares young people for careers in digital media through comprehensive training programmes.
• Nombuyiselo Jongqo of Cooktastic – Established in 2019, this non-profit organisation is a hospitality hub for disadvantaged youth in Cape Town. The organisation aims to bridge the gap between the high demand for skilled culinary professionals and the limited opportunities available to marginalised young people by offering a comprehensive culinary training programme that also focuses on personal development and job placement in the hospitality industry.

Rising Star

These entrepreneurs are aged 35 or younger and their businesses have passed the six-month milestone. The judges believe they will flourish beyond the critical first 1,000-day period.

• Mpho Hlongwane of MH Automotive Engineering – The industrial engineer, MBA graduate and PhD candidate is the founder and managing director of MH Automotive Engineering, which assembles and sequences automotive components for high-profile clients such as Ford Ranger and Volkswagen Amarok. MH Automotive Engineering has created jobs for more than 70 young people in Mamelodi and the surrounding area.
• Selanei Doorasamy of Vestara – Prompted by her journey navigating professional challenges, Selanei founded Vestara, a platform dedicated to connecting women with remote-work opportunities as virtual assistants. Vestara has assisted several women from diverse backgrounds, offering them opportunities to thrive, despite challenging circumstances.
• Zanele Njapha of The UnLearners – Zanele, a former teacher turned CEO, specialises in helping organisations build cultures of learning, unlearning and relearning. Through facilitation and workshops, Zanele and her team empower companies to dismantle obsolete practices and adopt innovative strategies. They’ve delivered 200 keynote presentations and supported the unlearning journeys of more than 100,000 people.

“The thing that struck me about this year’s entrants was that South African women are increasingly becoming a part of every facet of the South African economy, from STEM, education and heavy industry to the creative and marketing sectors. It makes me so proud … and very optimistic about our future!” – Suzy Brokensha, Fairlady editor-in-chief.

“It is an honour to engage with a platform that not only celebrates but also rewards the remarkable efforts of female entrepreneurs in South Africa. I was amazed at the inventive ways in which the finalists are creating wealth – it was eye-opening. I am looking forward to meeting all the participants and experiencing first-hand the profound impact that they have had on their communities.” – Mbali Soga, Truelove editor-in-chief.

The winners will be revealed at a glittering gala luncheon in October in Johannesburg. This year, the winners will take home their share of more than R692,000 in prizes! They also stand a chance of unlocking the 105-year-old business expertise of Santam, and the networking reach of Fairlady and Truelove, all of which will elevate a business to greater heights.

The prizes

• R125,000 in cash to the Woman of the Future and R75,000 in cash each to the Rising Star and the Social Entrepreneur from Santam
• A luxury beauty hamper worth R10,000 from our beauty partner, Lancôme
• A full-page advertisement in Fairlady or Truelove to promote the business, social enterprise or NPO
• Invaluable mentorship with one of the judges
• An online masterclass worth R4,100 from the Gordon Institute of Business Science
• A hamper from the IV Bar, including a Jetfuel drip, worth R7,330
• A women’s dress watch from Seiko worth R7,000
• Business printing worth R5,000 from Lithotech
• A STACKD spinner and Weekender cosmetic case worth a total of R6 498 from Samsonite
• A spa voucher worth R5,000 from Camelot Spa