The Lo Down: Courageous, stylish, smart women

Meet ten inspirational women from different industries all with a shared goal: to contribute to SA in their respective fields.

The creator: Mamela Nyamza

Mamela Nyamza is an award-winning dancer and choreographer trained in a variety of styles of dance and uses her dancing platform to promote women’s rights in the fight against gender-based violence.

The style icons: Vicky Crease and Maira Koutsoudakis

Successful sisters Crease and Koutsoudakis combine fashion, design, and architecture with their passions – Crease is a well-known caterer who has hosted events for the likes of Prince Harry and Koutsoudakis heads up LIFE Interiors and the LIFE Group of Companies.

The change agent: Jolynn Minnaar

The film director of Unearthed, a documentary that tracked her own journey across the US to investigate the effects of fracking, Minaar received critical acclaim at the Sheffield International Documentary Film Festival, winning the coveted Green Award.

The media star: Unathi Msengana

Starting as a producer for Rhodes Music Radio, Msengana now co-hosts Metro FM’s morning and afternoon drives. A singer and songwriter, she is a two-time South African Music Awards nominee.

Celebrities and socialites who attended the event. Picture: Zebra Square Global

The next big thing: Filipa Carmo da Silva

Filipa Carmo da Silva is a South African singer and songwriter who gained global recognition after winning Ryan Seacrest’s cover song competition for her rendition of a One Direction song. Winning this led to great media exposure and her debut single “Chills” premiered in June.

The woman of courage: Thulisile Madonsela

South African advocate and our Public Protector, Madonsela has been an inspiring voice of South Africans through her determination to promote accountability, landing her on Time magazine’s 2014 list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

The business brains: Lynette Ntuli

Entrepreneur Ntuli became the first black woman to head a superregional shopping centre at the age of 24 and used this platform to show that women, especially black women, could succeed in a male-dominated industry. Ntuli is currently studying business and entrepreneurship as part of the prestigious Washington Fellowship programme.

The giver: Sandra Millar

Millar founded the non-profit organisation Dignity Dreams to offer women living in improvised areas access to washable sanitary pads and panties. Dignity Dreams also provides jobs for previously unemployed women and is a green NPO with a low carbon footprint.

The readers’ choice: Kim Engelbrecht

At the early age of 12, Kim Engelbrecht starred in Sarahsarà, a movie about Sarah Gadalla Gubara’s swim from Capri to Napoli. More recently, she landed the role of Lolly on Isidingo. She has also featured in a UK TV series and continues to take on challenging acting roles both locally and internationally.