The highly anticipated 8th instalment of the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit will celebrate its return to an in-person format with some hot topics centred around this year’s theme, Women 3.0: The Icons and Ideas Shaping Africa. These will be discussed, debated, and unpacked on 8 March 2023 (International Women’s Day) at SunBet Arena, Time Square in Pretoria, South Africa.
“This summit has always been a space to further existing discussions around women, whether in business, society, sports, technology, civil society, government, or the arts; but it’s also a place to ignite important conversations around topics that have yet to be unpacked. We’re excited to announce a few of the panel topics that audiences can look forward to at the next instalment,” commented Renuka Methil, Managing Editor, FORBES AFRICA. “Visionaries from Africa and across the globe will shed new light on entrenched challenges, while bringing insight into new opportunities in technology and overlooked areas.”
On the agenda at the 2023 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit
This summit will give attendees the chance to meet the cover stars of the February/March 2023 issue of FORBES AFRICA. These inspirational women are trailblazers in making the first 50 Over 50 cover – female powerhouses who are shifting the narrative in their 50s and beyond. These leaders will be at the summit, as definitive role models of success, sharing lessons on how others can win by staying the course.
Learn more about the new wealth creators who will be sharing their insights on how to create money and meaning in today’s time. Conversations will also veer towards Web 3.0, the blockchain, and the metaverse – and how these technologies will define industries, while giving a sneak peek at the women leading them.
There will be panel discussions specific to the regional contexts as audiences get the opportunity to dwell on the emerging female entrepreneurs and SMEs across different pockets of Africa. Questions they’ll answer include ‘what has their recovery mode been post-pandemic?’ and ‘who are the survivors and thrivers forging their way ahead despite the odds stacked against them?’
The ramifications of food insecurity will also be unpacked as climate change will dictate how this continent will feed itself. Agritech will reign too as new innovations unfold for the continent’s tireless farmers. In addition, a delightful mix of trailblazers from the fintech, fashion, beauty, mining and liquor sectors will all feature. This is a unique chance to meet them, hear them, and see them live at this must-attend annual event.
Apart from these pertinent panel discussions, the 2023 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit will feature talks, fireside chats, and one-on-one interviews with sector-specific barrier-breakers from Africa and the world.
The annual event attracts industry leaders from across the globe. Some of the voices heard at last year’s two-day, virtual FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit, included Monica Geingos, the First Lady of Namibia; Tanzania’s first female President Samia Suluhu Hassan; and Phuthi Mahanyele-Dabengwa, CEO of Naspers South Africa.
It was here that Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, former head of UN Women, Founder of Umlambo Foundation, and winner of the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Lifetime Achievement Award, commented: “We hope that through initiatives like these, we can mobilize more women to be in solidarity and to see that we can protect women. I hope that women are sent to positions of leadership where they can make different decisions about the future of humanity.”
Other inspired speakers have included the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Chief Economist of the IMF, Gita Gopinath; British actor and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Gugu Mbatha-Raw; and Miss Universe 2022 Harnaaz Sandhu.
The importance of such female-led summits cannot be overstated. As Ruwayda Redfearn, Deloitte Africa Board Chair, explained: “If we bring a gender lens, we can work together to solve many of the problems that our economy and our continent is facing. Working together is absolutely critical in making sure women are included in every single conversation that we have. This will go a long way to solving many of our economic issues.”
Attendees to the 2023 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit can look out for more heavy hitters set to be unravelled in the coming weeks.
After a full day engaging on critical issues and unlocking new opportunities, the summit will culminate in the prestigious 2023 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards, a glittering ceremony where the most accomplished leaders and luminaries will be honoured for their impactful work.
More information:
The 2023 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit:
When: 8 March 2023
Where: SunBet Arena at Time Square, Pretoria, South Africa
Time: 08h30 – 15h30
Theme: Women 3.0: The Icons and Ideas Shaping Africa
The 2023 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards:
When: 8 March 2023
Where: SunBet Arena, Time Square, Pretoria, South Africa
Time: 19h00 – 23h00
Ticket prices
Summit – R1 500
Dinner – R1 500
Full Access – R 3 000
Table Bookings – Contact the Events Team for more information.
How to get involved:
You can become a part of the change by registering to attend the summit; visit the following platform: https://leadingwomensummit.co.za/. Alternatively, you can follow us on social media @LWSummit, #LWS2023. You can also come on board as an event sponsor or activation sponsor.
Contact details:
Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities: [email protected]
Media-related enquiries: [email protected]
Event-related queries: [email protected] / [email protected]
