On Friday, 3 October 2025, SME South Africa has the honour of attending the Santam Women of the Future Awards in association with FAIRLADY and TRUELOVE. This year, the awards were hosted at The Venue at the Houghton Hotel. At SME South Africa, we’re passionate about women and impactful entrepreneurship, and this event was a perfect fit, aligning with who we are and the audience we serve.
The room was filled with the who’s who of businesswomen, leaders in the media industry, executives in various industries, and the entrepreneurs nervously waiting to hear their names being called when the winners would be announced.
The day was filled with chatter, music, and class. However, apart from the glitz and the glamour of the event, the most crucial part was hearing about the journeys of the various entrepreneurs and the impact they drive back into society.
Moving Beyond Inclusion as a Concept
Norah Sehunoe, Santam Acting Chief Operating Officer, places an emphasis on providing actionable steps towards support and inclusion. “At Santam our commitment is clear: to move beyond inclusion as a concept and embed it as a reality, where women own the tools, the opportunities and the platforms to lead,” says Sehunoe.
“We are deeply committed to shaping a future where women are not only present in leadership spaces but thriving, too. And so, these awards serve as both a celebration and a catalyst, encouraging women of all backgrounds to pursue leadership with confidence and purpose.”
The intention behind these awards is to celebrate innovative women who are effectively contributing towards the South African economy and business landscape. The awards honoured four bold and resilient women this year.
Highlights From the Santam Women of the Future Awards
The MC of the day was award-winning radio broadcaster Khutho Theledi. She started off the event by highlighting the concern of high unemployment rates in South Africa, with the majority being the youth. SMMEs are at the centre of the economy and employ 80% of the workforce in the country.
The judges moderating this year’s event were 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), Norah Sehunoe (Santam Acting Chief Operating Officer), Dawn Nathan-Jones (business leader, social entrepreneur and CEO of Over the Rainbow), Boitumelo Ntsoane (Managing Director of On Point Healthcare and 2015 Woman of the Future), Suzy Brokensha (FAIRLADY Editor-in-Chief) and Mbali Soga (TRUELOVE Editor-in-Chief).
Rising Star Award
The Rising Star Award celebrates an entrepreneur aged 35 or younger. Their business must have passed the 6-month mark, but has existed for less than 1000 days. The finalists for this category included Chantel Spinazze (Bluum), Cheyenne Fernánda Miller (Ferna Tech), and Xolile Mabuza (Tendalo Trading).
The rising star was awarded to Xolile Mabuza of Tendalo Trading. Mabuza shared the touching story of surviving a stroke that left her having to relearn everything. During this experience, Mabuza began creating bags from discarded rubber, turning her trauma into triumph.
Today, her business is a national brand that recycles hundreds of tubes a month. Tendalo is building a factory and focusing on sustainable, youth-led design. “Winning is the best mirror for that celebration – but, more than that, it solidifies my foundation for growth, giving other young women something to look at, stand on and use to believe in their own dreams,” she says.
Social Entrepreneur and Readers’ Choice Award
The social entrepreneur award celebrates a social entrepreneur making an impact in her community and having survived the first 1000 days. The social entrepreneur category had the following finalists: Caroline Peters (Callas Foundation), Namritha Sivsanker (Hope SA Foundation), and Sharon Rapetswa (Triple Shine Foundation).
The social entrepreneur was awarded to Caroline Peters. Peters is a survivor of gender-based violence, which inspired her to start a feminist organisation that supports survivors navigating the justice system. Her organisation mentors boys in gender equity and builds food security through a network of community kitchens. “It’s an extraordinary affirmation for me, but also for the women, boys and communities I serve,” Caroline says. ‘It brings visibility to grassroots feminist leadership and highlights the power of community-led models in addressing South Africa’s most urgent social issues.”
Woman of the Future Award
The Woman of the Future Award celebrates an entrepreneur who runs a business that has survived 1000 days and has made great strides towards expanding their business and building an enterprise. The finalists in this category included Brenda Khumalo (Lobengula Advertising), Liz Letsoalo (Masodi Beauty), Shannon Dougall (Skin Functional), and Thando Maseko (Inayo Mining).
Santam Icon Award
For the first time, Santam presented the Santam Icon Award, a new honour recognising a past Woman of the Future winner whose influence transcends her business to impact communities and break barriers. This year, Dr Dulcy Rakumakoe, the 2020 Santam Woman of the Future and founder of Quadcare healthcare services, received the award for her advocacy of affordable healthcare and the LGBTQ+ community.
The winners won prizes worth more than 1 million rand. The prizes were as follows:
- 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 full-page advertisement in FAIRLADY or TRUELOVE to promote the business, social enterprise or NPO.
- A FAIRLADY or TRUELOVE digital to promote the business, social enterprise or NPO.
- An invaluable mentorship session with one of the judges.
- A luxury beauty hamper from Clarins (beauty partner) worth R10 000.
- A voucher from Spectacle World worth R7 500.
- An Orb cuff worth R5 990, a pair of Citronnade earrings worth R5 490 or a limited edition boa necklace worth R5 990 from Kirsten Goss,
- Business printing from Lithotech worth R5 000.
- An online masterclass from the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) worth R4 650.
- Spa vouchers from Camelot Spa worth R5 000.
- A hamper from The IV Bar worth R5 000.
- A tote bag, card holder and bag charm from Dyad worth a total of R5 010.
- The UnLearners’ flagship workshop, UnLearn & ReLearn: Re-imagining Success in Times of Change, worth R75 500.
- A Golden Circle Mentorship programme to the Readers’ Choice Award winner from Over the Rainbow, worth more than R10 500.
