Interview: Draw Inspiration From This Santam Women of the Future Awards 2025 Feature
Interview: Draw Inspiration From This Santam Women of the Future Awards 2025 Feature. It’s always heartwarming to see women getting celebrated and honored for the amazing work that they do. Santam is one of the organization that is consistent in doing just that. On Friday, 3 October 2025, the 11th annual Santam Women of the Future Awards, in association with FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE magazines, celebrated South Africa’s most inspiring entrepreneurs.
This event took place at an exclusive luncheon at The Venue at the Houghton Hotel, hosted by award winning radio personality Khutso Theledi. Among the panel of judges stood Professor Thuli Madonsela, Norah Sehunoe, Dawn Nathan-Jones, Boitumelo Ntsoane, Suzy Brokensha, and Mbali Soga.
Youth Village recently had an interview with the awards organizers, where more light was shed. The feature highlights the incredible women recognized at the 2025 Santam Women of the Future Awards, as well as the ongoing impact of this initiative in empowering women entrepreneurs across South Africa.
- This year marks the 11th anniversary of the Santam Women of the Future Awards — how has the initiative evolved since its inception?
(Roxanne)
Over the past 11 years, the Santam Women of the Future Awards have grown from a single annual event into a powerful movement. It empowers women to build resilient businesses, uplift their communities, and redefine the future of entrepreneurship in South Africa. What began with two categories: the Woman of the Future and Rising Star awards, has steadily expanded to reflect the diversity and impact of women in business. The introduction of the Social Entrepreneur Award and the Readers’ Choice Award (voted for by our readers and online audience) added new dimensions of recognition, celebrating innovation and community engagement. This year, marking an exciting milestone in the awards’ evolution, we introduced the Santam Icon Award: honouring a woman whose influence extends far beyond her own success, inspiring lasting change across society.
2. What do you think makes this year’s winners stand out compared to previous years?
(Suzy Brokensha, FAIRLADY Editor-in-chief)
I think the fact that we had to choose four finalists in the Woman of the Future category, not our usual three, highlighted how things have changed. The caliber of the entries was just so high, across the board, that it was almost impossible to hone the finalists down. That stood out for me, as well as the huge scope of their actual businesses, which ranged from an extremely successful mining company to two meteoric beauty companies, via an advertising agency that is also getting into the local film biz! It is just extraordinary how inventive and inspiring these women are.
3. The awards recognize resilience and leadership. Why do you think those qualities are especially vital for women entrepreneurs in South Africa today?
(Roxanne)
Resilience and leadership are at the core of every entrepreneur’s story, and for South African women, they’re absolutely essential. From limited resources, high unemployment rate including youth unemployment, to balancing countless responsibilities, women continue to rise, turning challenges into opportunities for growth. Our entrepreneurs aren’t just building businesses; they’re driving real change in their communities. Their courage, creativity, and empathy fuel a ripple effect of empowerment. That’s exactly what the Santam Women of the Future Awards celebrate: the unstoppable spirit of women who lead with heart, resilience, and a vision for a better future.
4. Can you elaborate on Santam’s philosophy that the first 1 000 days of running a business are the hardest, and how that shapes the selection process?
(Sithembile Malinga, Santam Brand Manager)
In those first three years, entrepreneurs typically are navigating the realities of starting up and demonstrating grit and potential. It is during this period on their entrepreneurial journey that they experience challenges such as limited capital, operational pressures, limited networks and market access, and the emotional strain of uncertainty. It’s a high-risk, high-learning phase where resilience, innovation and adaptability are critical.
By focusing on women in this make-or-break period, the awards ensure the entrepreneurs are supported at the most vulnerable stage of their journey—where recognition, mentorship and financial backing can have the biggest impact. The judges look not only at current success, but at how candidates have managed adversity, and laid the groundwork for future growth during these first 1 000 days.
5. Shannon Dougall, congratulations on winning Woman of the Future — what has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned since launching SKIN functional?
Given the rate at which SKIN functional has grown the greatest challenge has been driving growth and managing the cash reserves required for growth. SKIN functional is completely self funded and does not rely on any loans for business expansion.
6. Caroline Peters, you’ve won both the Social Entrepreneur and Readers’
Balancing advocacy with sustainability has always been at the heart of the Callas Foundation’s work. Advocacy is about shifting systems — and sustainability is about ensuring that those shifts last. For me, the two are inseparable.
We’ve built a model where every advocacy effort is connected to tangible community action. When we speak out about gender-based violence, we’re also training GBV First Responders. When we advocate for justice reform, we’re supporting survivors in court. When we talk about food insecurity, we’re running women-led community kitchens that restore dignity and provide psychosocial support.
Sustainability comes from relationships — with our community, our partners, and our team. We invest in leadership development, shared ownership, and collective care, so that the Foundation doesn’t depend on one person’s energy, but on a community’s strength.
Advocacy gives us purpose; sustainability gives us longevity. Together, they make real change possible.
7. Xolile Mabuza, as this year’s Rising Star, how has your personal journey of recovery and resilience influenced your approach to entrepreneurship?
As the 2025 Rising Star, My personal journey or recovery and resilience has influenced my approach to entrepreneurship beautifully. I know that a terrible experience, day isn’t a reflection of what tomorrow bring, and that beautiful wins comes from different things even the messy days, brings success. This has taught me to continue working, pushing and chasing no matter what, I work through rejection, no’s and failures because of my personal, because of where I started, from nothingness.
8. For the judges, what qualities or patterns did you notice among this year’s finalists that signal the future of South African entrepreneurship?
Santam – Not a pattern we only noticed this year but in the last three years – and that is more women are branching into industries that are not only male dominated but which are extremely complex, with Strick legislations and high barriers to enter into such as Mining, Telecommunication, Construction, Automative just to name a few, which signal a powerful economic and social shift in South Africa. Which speaks to women owned businesses not only demanding inclusion but show true leadership empowerment.
Suzy Brokensha – This year was not just about individual success – it felt like a movement. These women mean business. They’re not asking for permission; they’re literally changing the world we live in for the better. We couldn’t be more proud!
9. The introduction of the Santam Icon Award is a powerful addition. What inspired this new category, and how did Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe embody its purpose?
(Roxanne)
This prestigious new award honours a woman whose impact reaches far beyond the success of her own business. Dr Dulcy was named the Santam Woman of the Future in 2020 and the CEO of Quadcare. She is a true trailblazer whose work uplifts communities, breaks barriers, and inspires lasting change. She is a medical doctor, MBA graduate, advocate for affordable healthcare, and a proud champion of the LGBTQ+ community. She continues to redefine what it means to lead with purpose, compassion, and courage.
10. Norah Sehunoe mentioned moving “beyond inclusion” toward true leadership empowerment. How is Santam ensuring this vision translates into tangible support for women entrepreneurs?
(Norah Sehunoe)
At Santam our commitment to the advancement of women is reflected in the Women of the Future Awards initiative and MORE. For instance, in 2024, we directed R1.3 billion in claims spend toward women-owned enterprises, 150 of whom held 100% Black Women Ownership. We also have the Santam Intermediary Growth and Development Programme (SIGDP), that builds resilient, competitive brokerages, with a strong focus on women-owned enterprises. In the past year, 690+ emerging intermediaries received technical training, business mentoring, market access, and industry certification, unlocking leadership opportunities in the financial services value chain.
supporting the Women of the Future Awards aligns with our core belief: and that is to enable women leaders to follow their dreams and turn their passions into thriving ventures.
11. Many winners are building social impact enterprises — how do you see the link between entrepreneurship and social change evolving in South Africa?
(Roxanne)
Not really sure about this questions. The winners aren’t building social enterprises. The social entrepreneur has a foundation. The Woman of the Future and Rising star has a business.
The link between entrepreneurship and social social entrepreneurship in South Africa is becoming increasingly important. Social Enterprises and Non-Profits are also being driven by necessity. Given the current unemployment, especially youth unemployment, these enterprises are contribute in not only job creation but also has a positive impact in the communities and areas of need they focus on.
12. The prizes are worth over R1 million — how do these rewards translate into real, measurable impact for the winners’ businesses or organizations?
(Roxanne)
My answer is a combination of 14 and 15:
Partners like Santam, Clarins, and the prize sponsors work together to ensure that the Santam Women of the Future Awards extend far beyond the ceremony, creating a holistic ecosystem that supports, uplifts, and empowers women entrepreneurs long after they receive their awards.
Santam, as the headline sponsor, provides generous prize money to the winners, giving them the financial boost they need to grow, innovate, and strengthen their businesses.
- Clarins promotes confidence and self-care, empowering winners to invest in their well-being, an essential foundation for strong, sustainable leadership.
- GIBS offers executive-level business education and mentorship, helping winners refine their strategic thinking, leadership, and operational skills.
- Over the Rainbow provides entrepreneurial mentorship and community support, connecting winners to experienced business leaders and valuable networks.
- Camelot Spa contributes to wellness and rejuvenation, encouraging the winners to recharge and maintain balance as they pursue their goals.
- Lithotech Printing ensures professional branding and event support, helping the awards and their winners present their work with excellence and visibility.
- Kirsten Goss celebrates the spirit of achievement with elegant, handcrafted jewellery, symbolizing strength, creativity, and individuality.
- The IV Bar supports energy, health, and vitality, helping winners stay focused and resilient while managing demanding schedules.
- Dyad offers creative brand development and storytelling expertise, empowering winners to refine their business identities and grow their visibility.
- Spectacle World provides vision care and eyewear prizes, representing clarity of vision, both literal and symbolic for the future.
- The UnLEarners deliver transformational mindset coaching, equipping winners to challenge limiting beliefs and embrace innovative, growth-oriented thinking.
- FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE offer prestigious national exposure and advertising opportunities that help winners amplify their stories, reach new audiences, and attract customers, partners, and investors.
13. Suzy Brokensha and Mbali Soga highlighted “awe” and “innovation”
when describing the 2025 winners — what key advice would you give to young women hoping to follow in their footsteps?
Suzy Brokesha
I was really struck by how many women said the same thing: just start; don’t wait – there is no perfect time. Nearly all of them said that, and I think it’s true. Just do it.
14. What role do partners like Clarins, GIBS, and Over the Rainbow play in empowering the awardees beyond the ceremony itself?
Apart from the prize money of R275,000 Santam is intentional in working with these businesses in procuring them for their services and product. This is something we have been doing and will continue to do.
15. Finally, how can the public and aspiring entrepreneurs engage with the #SantamWOTF community or benefit from its mentorship opportunities throughout the year?
Roxanne
The mentorship opportunities are exclusively available to the winners. However, they can visit www.womenofthefuture.co.za to stay inspired by our winners’ stories and updates, and follow the hashtag #SantamWOTF for the latest news about the awards.
