Women Leaders Powering an Equitable & Inclusive Future in South Africa

Gender diversity has gradually emerged as a key focus area for countries across the globe. Beyond the morally right thing to do, gender diversity is a smart business imperative. Empowering women in all aspects of life and work can power nations ahead and strengthen communities.

Drawing inspiration from this, South Africa has made great strides in empowering women and reducing the gender gap. The country stood in the joint second place on the G20 ranking. South Africa stands behind Canada is tied with Australia.

Women in South Africa and Australia account for 48.6% of the senior civil service. South Africa has been recognized for having made the most improvement out of all G20 countries in the past two years based on the Women Leaders Index. Over the last decade, South Africa has made double-digit improvement of 14.8 points.

Women leaders in South Africa have been paving the way for an inclusive and equitable future for the nation.

In order to recognize the grit and skill of women leaders in South Africa, the current edition of Global Woman Leader magazine brings to readers in-depth interviews with prolific women leaders from the country.

In this edition meet Zanta du Plessis, the CEO and Founder of Isabella Garcia International. She has more than 20 years of experience in skincare, beauty and entrepreneurship. She began her career in 2003 at a female cancer insurance company in Johannesburg, where she learned the importance of data, testing and strategic risk management from her first mentor.

In this edition we also spotlight Christie Liron, the CEO and Director of Energy at Work, a South Africa–based human capital and business process outsourcing (BPO) firm that has been shaping the talent landscape for over two decades. With more than 20 years of leadership experience, Christie has built Energy at Work into a people-centered, purpose-driven organization known for its innovation, resilience, and commitment to excellence. Under her guidance, the company has evolved beyond traditional recruitment, pioneering customised solutions in the Outsourced Space.

Read more about these women leaders and how they are powering South Africa’s business growth.

Your thoughts are welcome.