Empowering Bold Leadership: Entries Open for the 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award in South Africa

A new era of female leadership is taking shape—and Veuve Clicquot is once again at the forefront. The prestigious Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award returns for its fourth year in South Africa, celebrating trailblazing women who are rewriting the rules of business and pushing boundaries across industries.

Launched in 1972, the Bold Woman Award has honoured over 450 remarkable women globally—leaders who not only build businesses but shape conversations, challenge norms, and inspire future generations. In 2025, this iconic award continues its legacy by spotlighting the next wave of powerhouse female entrepreneurs.

This year, the programme features two powerful categories:

• Bold Woman Award: For established entrepreneurs who have been in business for over five years.
• Bold Future Award: For rising stars leading companies under five years old.

But this is more than an accolade—it’s a transformative platform offering global visibility, unmatched networking opportunities, and entry into a worldwide community of resilient, visionary women.

At the heart of this initiative lies the pioneering spirit of Madame Clicquot, who at just 27 defied 19th-century gender norms to lead Maison Veuve Clicquot. With no right to even open a bank account, she revolutionised champagne making—introducing vintage production, inventing the riddling table, and creating the first known blended rosé. Her legacy is a beacon for today’s fearless female entrepreneurs.

Supporting its mission, Veuve Clicquot also launched the Bold International Barometer in 2019—the first global study tracking the evolution and mindset of women in business. The Barometer offers insights that help shape the future of female entrepreneurship and guide the Bold by Veuve Clicquot programme.

In South Africa, the entrepreneurial spirit is thriving. In 2023, a striking 61% of South African women identified as entrepreneurs, with the strongest showing among women aged 20 to 29. While global trends show a dip in female entrepreneurship, South Africa bucks the trend—emerging as a hub for innovation and business driven by women.

Now, the 2025 Bold Woman Award aims to propel this momentum. Entries are officially open from 3 March to 13 April 2025, inviting women across South Africa to step forward and be recognised for their bold achievements.

HOW TO ENTER

• For the Bold Woman Award: Entrants must be founders or CEOs of companies that have existed for more than five years. They should demonstrate leadership, transformation in their sector, and at least two years of business growth, while upholding ethical business practices.
• For the Bold Future Award: Entrants must be founders or CEOs of companies less than five years old. They should show significant contribution to the company’s success, introduce transformation within an existing market, and embed ethical values in their work.

A panel of respected judges will select three finalists per category, who will be honoured at the Bold Woman Award ceremony on 16 July 2025. The winner of each category will be announced at the event, and the Bold Woman Award laureate will be invited to Reims, France, for a special immersion into the world of Maison Veuve Clicquot.

To enter, applicants must be official residents of South Africa and lead businesses based or operating within the country. Apply via boldopendatabase.com/en/bold-woman-award—a global platform that connects, uplifts, and supports female entrepreneurs.