With TRESemmé returning as our headline sponsor for the second year, the GLAMOUR Women of the Year Awards were held this evening at Langhams.
The black carpet event attended by the who-is-who in businesses, celebrities, entertainers and influencers was a celebration of women empowerment.
We are thrilled to announce the recipients of this year's prestigious GLAMOUR Women of the Year Awards, the Game-Changers edition, celebrating the outstanding achievements of women across industries.
These exceptional individuals have demonstrated unparalleled dedication, resilience, and innovation in their respective domains, inspiring and empowering others through their remarkable contributions.
Next-Gen Award: Zesipho Mncwango Presented by TRESemmé
Brand manager, entrepreneur and founder of ‘The Official Perfume Plug’ uses digital content creation to hone her passion for perfumes. Now an expert in the field, she offers tips, advice and insights on all things luxury fragrances. Using her experience as a Brand Manager of iconic, global, aspirational brands to create the platform. Quite unique in her vision, no one in SA has captured the fragrance conversation. She used her strength of being on the pulse of luxury and pop culture, democratising those for more people to feel included and seen in the experience to create the platform and build success. She continues to use her career and life as a masterclass in what it means to find one’s purpose, align it to their career-calling , and spend every waking moment thereafter in pursuit of articulating the highest expression of self within that purpose.
Sportsperson Game Changer Award: Bongiwe Msomi
Captain of the National Netball team and PUMA ambassador, embodies everything the brand stands for, including the ‘Forever Faster’ tagline. From Hammarsdale, KZN, Bongiwe Msomi fell in love with Netball when she first started playing at the age of 16. She started out not having a training kit or trainers, but immediately made an impression on the coach and asked to come back the following week. She climbed through the netball ranks and made her debut for South Africa in 2011 at the tender age of 23. Her impressive skills have earned her international acclaim and she was awarded the captaincy armband in 2016, a proud moment and a dream come true. She led the Proteas to their most successful Netball World Cup performance in 2019, finishing fourth-place in an inspiring performance which helped to raise the profile of the sport in South Africa and across the world.
Entertainer Game Changer Award: Nomuzi Mabena (Moozlie)
Affectionately known as Moozile, the multi-faceted pioneer forged a powerful path for herself as a female rapper and TV presenter in SA’s entertainment industry. She started off as a model in Benoni, and her success took off when she was awarded the MTV VJ Search for 2012 and joined MTV Base as a VJ. In the year 2017, she started her own record label, Nomuzi Mabena music. Nomuzi has taken on various MC gigs such as ‘Tuks Rag Queen’ crowning, ‘Africa’s biggest hip hop dance competition ‘, ‘Masters of Rhythm’, Mr and Miss Benoni and the MTV Base Live Urban Smooth Sessions with Klipdrift and many more. She’s interviewed high profile celebrities like Miguel, Snoop Dogg, Flavour and Khuli Chana, no interview is too small or too big for Moozile to handle. She’s been involved in the well-being and upliftment of the women and children of Benoni.
Musician Game Changer Award: Zoë Modiga
She’s the quintessential music artist who represents the present and future of African music. Leaning into her African roots as a source of inspiration, Zoë conveys an evolving African sound without losing her originality. By fusing jazz composition, motown soul, and African storytelling, she has crafted a sound of her own, introducing the world to her African heritage and history. Her love for music and storytelling can be traced back to her childhood, prompting her to pursue a career in the Arts and Music. She attended the National School of Arts in Johannesburg where she studied classical piano, clarinet and vocals. And later pursued studies in Jazz performance at the College of Music at UCT. Zoë has collaborated with some of South Africa’s finest musicians such as Ladysmith Black Manbazo, Thandiswa Mazwai, Johnny Clegg, Simphiwe Dana, Louis Maholo and Tshepo Tshola.
Humanitarian Game Changer Award: Catherine Constantinides of Change SA Presented by Dove
This impactful leader plays a critical role in mobilising advocacy for climate change during a critical time. She’s a social entrepreneur who started her first business at the age of 16. She has more than a decade invested in educating, empowering and creating awareness around climate change, sustainable development and women empowerment. She is proactive in educating schools and rural communities whilst consulting with the government and private sector. She’s a dynamic award-winning force, and steadfastly believes in addressing the continent’s challenges in becoming economically viable, and to move forward sustainably.
Editor’s Award: Simphiwe Dana Presented by Ice Tropez
The creative songwriter, singer and social activist, started her music career in 2002 at the age of 22. She draws inspiration from the human experience while creating the space to reflect and share her lived experience. Her music is rooted in vulnerability, documenting and sharing her challenges and struggles over the years. She strives to create music as a source of healing. Her debut album, Zandilsile earned her a South African Music Award (SAMA) and a spot on the Billboard Charts. In 2007, she was named Best Female Artist with the song “The One Love Movement on Bantu Biko Street” at the SAMA Awards. In 2010, she bagged the award for Best Contemporary Jazz and Best Female Artist. Her success and achievements have made her an influential female figure in the South African music industry. Her music is rooted in vulnerability, documenting and sharing her challenges and struggles over the years. She strives to create music as a source of healing, and possesses all the qualities of an awe-inspiring, courageous woman.
Fashion Game Changer Award: Fikile Sokhulu Presented by Skin Renewal
The Durban-based designer captures concepts of femininity and connectedness to nature contributing the elevation of African fashion on a global stage. She holds a Masters Degree in Business and Brand Management from the Milan Fashion Institute. Her achievements and success as a student gave her the opportunity to showcase her collection for the first time at SA Fashion Week in 2018, and became a finalist in the New Talent Search. She was part of the Cheers Qingdao Fashion Project in China. Her collections caught the eye of well-known brand, Mr Price. Sokhulu was one of four South African designers selected for the Fashion Bridges project, a collaboration between South Africa and Italy through various trade and cultural instituions including SA Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Trade Agency. They were given the opportunity to work together on cultural and design exchange. Their teamwork culminated in a joint capsule collection that was showcased at Milan Fashion Week and SA Fashion Week in 2021.
Beauty Game Changer Award: Mihlali Ndamase Presented By Avon South Africa
Mihlali’s love for makeup began when she stumbled upon YouTube videos relating to beauty and fashion. She took her passion further by obtaining a qualification from LISOE (Leaders in the Science of Fashion). And has worked with well-known brands such as MAC Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Benefit cosmetics, Samsung, NYX professional and Aldo. She started her YouTube channel to educate and inspire others, and her online presence continued to grow through consistency. Her Instagram has garnered over a million followers, making her highly influential in the space of beauty and fashion. She was featured as one of Africa’s revolutionary thinkers in Forbes Africa “30 under 30” list. Mihali strives to continue to grow her business.
Sustainability Award: Ann- Kathrin Joos
Founder and CEO of Standard Beauty, Ann-Kathrin, always envisioned herself being a BOSS, owning her own company and pursuing what she loved. She started Standard Beauty in the midst of the pandemic in June 2020 when she noticed a gap in the affordable skincare market, as most skincare items were expensive. There were some affordable options, however they lacked aesthetics, professionalism and quality. She believes that when it comes to creating skincare products for the public/masses, there should be no compromise, and daily consumables should be high-quality without breaking the bank whilst still looking cute. As an entrepreneur at heart, she developed her own skincare brand, Standard Beauty, that centred around beautiful and appealing packaging; inclusive to all and made from locally sourced ingredients. Due to the high demand for their skincare products, 12 months after launching Standard Beauty the business evolved from being a kitchen project to having its own large-scale factory and in-house R&D Laboratory.
Technology Game Changer Award: Veni Reddy
The Managing Director of MSV Instrumentation and Supplies, possesses the qualities that make a successful woman in STEM. She strives to forge a path for women to succeed and break barriers in a male dominated industry. She believes women have been misrepresented at every level in key sectors of the economy, and therefore works harder to prove her capability. She does this with humility, passion, confidence, and much needed faith. Veni boasts vast technical and sales related experience in the industry displaying a high level of empathy, compassion and authenticity. And has close to 30 years of experience in the Process Instrumentation and Automation Industry. MSV Instrumentation and Supplies is a privately owned entity, founded in 2016 and represented by eight international companies in South Africa. It is a leading supplier of industrial instrumentation and automation to the mining, petrochemical, food& beverage, pharmaceutical and many other industries. She’s responsible for upholding company operations, implementing business strategies, and nurturing business relationships. Crediting her incredible team for their remarkable contribution to the company’s success.
Fashion Photography Game Changer Award: Niquita Bento
Fast becoming a household name in the South African fashion and media space, the Cape Town based photographer frequently creates magic behind the lens for some of the biggest local brands. In a male-dominated field, Niquita stands out for her immense talent and determination, while her photography can be recognised for its signature mix of timeless and modern. She started out as a style reporter for a well-known fashion publication in 2013. Soon after, she became a creative assistant and worked closely with the fashion editor at the time. She was given the opportunity to shoot her first fashion editorial by her former boss. Niquita has joined forces with G-Star RAW for the launch of their new Exclusives collection which features Japanese denim and manipulated Melton wool. And aims to push creative boundaries and celebrate denim’s continued influence on artists, musicians, and cultural figures from various generations.
Digital Content Creator Game Changer Award: Pamela Mtanga Presented By Satiskin
The content creator has become a digital maven in the beauty and fashion spaces. She has steadily built a formidable brand, positioning herself as a sough-after personality and businesswoman. Pamela is the freshest face on TV, after joining the newest host of channel O’s music show Massive Music. The multi-hyphenate is an award-winning multimedia entrepreneur, content creator, television presenter and MC. At the age of 26, she was named top personality and influencer at the Top 16 Youth-Owned Brand Awards. And is one of the hottest beauty and fashion influencers in South Africa.
Mental Health Game Changer: Onkgopotse Khumalo
The mental health advocate is the founder of The Pocket Club; a health tech start-up that focuses on democratising access to mental healthcare. On her journey of self-discovery, it’s her quest to find avenues to improve mental well-being that sparked her interest in entrepreneurship. Early on in her professional journey she was navigating financial services in the investment and portfolio management space, and later transitioned into a management consultant role at McKinsey and Company.
Entrepreneur Game Changer Award: Cindy Malaza Presented By Standard Beauty
Most entrepreneurs have a story that starts a mindset that enables them to think outside the box and the willingness to take risks. They are our solution finders. Cindy Malaza is a self-proclaimed, ambitious entrepreneur that soared the skies of success. It started with her passion for the skies and wanting to pursue becoming a pilot. However, funding this newfound love was not cheap , so she set out to find ways to fund her budding career as a commercial pilot. She decided to upholster a chair to a specific look in mind, birthing her love and obsession for design and making things look pretty. This became the catalyst for her new business venture. She received many orders and quickly outgrew the garage space lent to her by her landlord and rented a factory space. Five years later, her company, Timeless Opulence, is a successful company with three divisions; bespoke furniture manufacturing, interior design& decor, and events management.
Finance Game Changer Award: Irene Charnley Presented By Absa
A pioneer and front runner in a male-dominated space. Irene grew up in the Cape Flats townships where her education pursuits led to her studying at London College of Printing. She made her mark when she became part of the African business community as a negotiator for South Africa’s National Union of Mineworkers. She spent 13 years coordinating various divisions and departments of union operations. Initially, she saw this position as a task given to her but realised that she was safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of thousands of workers. Soon after, she became the executive director of the MTN Group, Africa’s largest telecommunications company. Charnley was also behind the founding of the National Empowerment Consortium which was made up of 50% black business owners and 50% black labourers. An outstanding accolade, where she was able to grant opportunity to marginalised groups and democratise the capital markets.
Icon Award: Leanne Manas Presented By TRESemmé
She has been a mainstay of our television screens for the past two decades, providing information and sound insight, solidifying her position as a significant player in South African journalism and media. She is known as the face of Morning Live, a news broadcast that she has been hosting since 2004. She’s been at the forefront of bringing South Africans some of the biggest news stories over the last two decades. After obtaining a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics Journalism from Rhodes University, she developed an interest in finance journalism. Throughout her career, the she has had the privilege of interviewing highly recognized people - top entertainers, business women and men, and politicians from all over the world. She was bestowed with the Chavalier de l’Ordre National Du Merite (Knight of the French National Order of Merit), recognizing her contribution to journalism and media in South Africa. By 2019, she was appointed Goodwill Ambassador by UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency in January 2019. Leanne works for numerous charities in addition to her profession in media, including Child Welfare and the Topsy Foundation. She is the only television anchor in the world to join the elite list of ambassadors hand-picked by Madiba himself. Despite all of the honours and professional achievements, Leanne firmly believes that her role is to listen and provide others a platform to voice their opinions.
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