When ladies who lunch also launch empires
Movers and shakers of Warrior Women celebrate sisterhood
● What better way to spend a warm Johannesburg winter afternoon than in the company of an inspirational sisterhood breaking bread in the garden of a grand house boasting a water oak that just might be the largest in the land.
That’s where I found myself on Friday after transport queen Kimberly Dally held an intimate luncheon to reconnect with a group of female powerhouses, collectively called the Warrior Women, who share a common bond for business, philanthropy and female empowerment.
It was held at Beechwood Gardens, a 1.4ha property in Hyde Park whose grounds were laid out back in 1945 by famed landscaper Joane Pim.
Walking through the house and onto the outside lawn I spy Kimberly, in a chic red slacks ensemble with her mate Jill Grogor, who throws many of the do’s featured in this column.
The story goes that it was at one such occasion that Kimberly got the idea to start this informal sisterhood, which includes Jill and perfumed powerhouses such as Forbes Rich List regular Irene Charnley, Dionne Ellerine-Hirschowitz of the Ellerines furniture fortune, and Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, the president of the foundation set up by the US ratings agency Moody’s.
“This is an opportunity for us to reconnect and celebrate the solidarity of our sisterhood, finding ways to thrive during this seminal time and not simply wait it out,” explained Kimberly, who runs U-Rent, the transport and logistics company she founded with her husband.
While not all the founding members could attend due to the pandemic, someone I do meet is Gwen Nkosi, a member of the International Women’s Forum SA, who owns a ceramics brand and whose construction company is building student accommodation for the Tshwane University of Technology.
On to greeting a couple of familiar faces, mother and daughter Tidimalo and Tumi Khobane.
I’d met the two before Covid struck at a launch for Tumi’s coffee brand, Monate Coffee.
Tumi tells me the company, which brews its beverages using the finest beans from around the continent, has now expanded into roasting and offers a white label option for restaurants that want their own coffee brand.
Meanwhile Tidi, who co-founded Mosong Capital with pint-sized business heavy Moss Mashishi, assures me that the company’s free-to-air TV channel will still see the light of day despite a delayed launch.
Down the cobblestone steps to where guests are enjoying champers (the flutes carefully marked with their names to avoid any cross-contamination), I am greeted by someone who has become a fixture of this column — travel guru Johanna Mukoki, who is always the life of a party.
Then it’s hello to the lady of the manor, Susan Greig, who along with her jeweller husband Christopher owns the sprawling estate.
“We don’t live here any more; we’re up in the sky in a woonstel,” says the cookery maven, who explains that it was a natural progression from her love of food to running events at their old home.
On to meeting someone else who is a kitchen queen.
That’s Faaiza Omar, a self-taught baker whose love for whipping up macaroons has morphed into creating such decadent confections as rose and cardamom tart.
“They are fancy,” laughs Faaiza, who looks dreamy in a fetching Simone Rocha exaggerated-sleeve coat from the Irish designer’s collab with H&M.
We all head back up onto the lawn where a long table is festooned with tulips and yellow roses.
Thoughtful touches abound — with Kimberly making sure that each of the 20 guests had their names embroidered on their napkins, testament that they each deserved a seat at this table.
Mind you, as hearty pasta fagioli soup is dished up I have to bid adieu to the stylish set because of a more pressing engagement: taking my mom for her first Pfizer jab after her vaccine token SMS came through the night before.
[We’re] finding ways to thrive during this seminal time
As I head out the door, I bump into a woman who, like me, once called Elsies River home. That’s Charnley, who a few months ago retired from the multimilliondollar company she founded, Smile Telecoms, which runs 4G mobile networks in several African countries.
Irene, and another late arrival, Judi Nwokedi — who a few days earlier along with the Turkish ambassador had hosted an event to celebrate Phindile Baleni’s appointment as director-general in the presidency — enjoyed what I hear was a sumptuous feast.
The spread included Sicilian salmon, Parmesan chicken with sundried tomatoes, an aubergine rollatini and dessert in the form of passionfruit mousse and tarte tatin with cream.