SA women power out in full force
On a quest to share success and affirm African females
Media mogul Carol Bouwer is still on a high following the successful African Odyssey seminar she hosted at the weekend and it’s not thanks to all the champagne that flowed.
This was a gathering of SA’s glamourous and beautiful women who boast business acumen and success.
The event hosted at the Cape Town City Hall was headlined by US celebrity stylist June Ambrose, who flew in to inspire women with her story of resilience while sharing her fashion tips.
In the end, Bouwer, who is a fierce campaigner of the girl child and has done some work with the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), achieved what she had set out to do – affirm the African woman.
“I felt there was a need for an accessible platform where women of all walks of life could congregate and talk about their entrepreneurial challenges
‘ ‘ I believe that the sun is enough to shine for us all
and where those who have walked the path before can comfortably impart lessons for the affirmation of others. Many conferences are about preaching to the room but this was different as we created an intimate space where everyone felt included and spoken with rather than spoken to,”
Bouwer says she chose Ambrose because she is the embodiment of success against all odds. “She was raised by a single mom and in the Bronx [in New York] many dreams are destroyed, yet she would go to Central Park and dream big of the fashions she would wear to the house she would inhabit. June is self-made and currently has two syndicated TV shows. I personally relate to her drive and the spi rit of conquer.”
The Odyssey saw three powerful women in media, Bouwer, Khanyi Dhlomo and Basetsana Kumalo, who own production companies and magazine titles, team up.
Bouwer puts it in context: “I believe the sun is enough to shine for us all, so I wanted this platform to be less about me but about stories South Africans should be sharing of women successes. I’m convinced we have the most amazing leadership hidden in women who are never given an opportunity because we recycle the same names all of the time because we are scared to widen the circle.
“I approached women I have a lot of respect for… [who] came on board in a way that left me in awe. Totally humbled by my dear friend Khanyi who heads up South Africa’s next big content conglomerate and she brought Ndalo Media to be our official media partner which was truly an honour. Bassie was also amazing in her support to ensure Top Billing coverage which is SA’s favourite lifestyle and design show.”
Bouwer also brought on multilateral partnerships such as UN Women.
“Our work is predominantly about building strong, fulfilled and inspiring women so it was important we bring them as a partner so the day can be about more than just fashion and business. The scourge of femicide meant we could create a strong partnership geared towards the permanent eradication of this unfortunate malaise.”
There were stands to showcase the best of SA which Bouwer says was important to her that Ambrose left with a sense of South Africa as a destination from which she can source products for all her celebrity clients. Nhlanhla Nciza of Mafikizolo was part of the entertainment line-up.
The next Odyssey will be in the summer in Johannesburg.