The future is bright (and female)
● It’s one of my social whirl highlights – a knees-up celebrating women doing wonders in business set in a beautiful locale with great company and scrumptious food.
Yes, the Fairlady Santam Women of the Future Awards is one of those rare events that leave you with the warm and fuzzies.
Walking into the venue, Summer Place in Hyde Park, Joburg, I pick up a glass of bubbly before greeting my mate, Roxanne Cloete, the mag’s brand manager who put the shindig together with aplomb.
Stepping onto the deck overlooking the fountain, I spot businesswoman Wendy Luhabe taking in the sunshine and greet one of the awards judges, Dawn Nathan-Jones, the ex-Imperial Car Rental CEO who TV viewers might recognise as a “shark” on M-Net’s Shark Tank SA.
Then it’s a quick hello to Ashley Hayden, who tells me she’s back on the box with a role on e.tv’s new Sunday evening drama series Ambitions. Wendy, who has brought along Thandi Nkopo, a young mechanical engineering student she is mentoring, is seated on my right while across from us are two of the afternoon’s most stylish ladies, Nozuko Mbalula (in a floral jumpsuit she designed herself) and her bestie, auditor-turned-events boss Mizana Qata. On Wendy’s right is Lindiwe Matlali, who was nominated in the social entrepreneurship category for teaching young kids to code through her nonprofit, Africa Teen Geeks, and who sweetly brought along her daughter Karabo. A late arrival to our table is that businesswoman who loves showing off her pins, Judi Nwokedi, who has just been appointed secretary-general of the Black Business Council. “All of a sudden I don’t have a first name — people call me SG,” she jokes.
I spot that stylish WAG-turned-author Sonia Booth; Connie Mashaba, ever so chic in pinstripes; TV personality Penny Lebyane; and environmental activist Catherine Constantinides, who went to Mondeor High with the day’s MC, Masechaba Ndlovu.
It’s just over a month since I’d seen the Metro FM presenter at the Durban July with her husband, Vusi, and during that time she’d announce their split. “We’re still married,” Masechaba says, explaining that they are getting marriage counselling.
Someone more loved-up is our former public protector and now prof at Stellenbosch, Thuli Madonsela, although she decided to come sans her PR beau, Dick Foxton.
Thuli, Santam’s Annette la Grange, media personality Jo-Ann Strauss and Fairlady ed Suzy Brokensha joined Dawn in the unenviable task of picking the winners from an impressive list of movers and shakers.
Jo-Ann, though, couldn’t make the lunch.
“She’s just had her third child, although you won’t believe it if you see her,” joshes Suzy.
As we tuck into our starters, Masechaba welcomes us and after speeches by Suzy and Annette we watch videos of the nominees.
So, who won the gongs?
Vere Shaba of Shaba & Ramplin Green Building Solutions landed the Rising Star award.
Patricia Schröder, whose company, Reclite SA, recycles lighting, batteries and electronics, and who managed to convince our government to ban the dumping of electronic waste on landfills, was the deserved winner of the top trophy, the Woman of the Future Award.
Sweetest moment, though, was when our table companion Lindiwe was named the winner of her category and the Stanford University graduate spontaneously burst into tears of joy. Masechaba Ndlovu