Go-getters and trendsetters mark International Women’s Day with Women’s Summit

In celebration of International Women’s Day, the Hyatt Regency in Rosebank played host to more than 100 of South Africa’s most influential female business leaders, social entrepreneurs and philanthropists among a wide spectrum.

Themed, The Trillion Dollar Female Economy, the summit on 8 March aimed to shed light on the important role women play as mass consumers and contributors to the global financial economy. Speaking on the sidelines, Mapula Bodibe, consumer business unit executive at MTN, said it was special for women from various walks of life to come together to mark the occasion.

She said it was an ideal opportunity for women to reflect, connect and share [ideas]. “It’s an opportunity for us as women to learn from each other in terms of how to, first of all, influence the environments within which we work to make sure that women are better represented and that our various voices are heard,” said Bodibe.

“The opportunity also allows for us to use our various roles to change how women are served by the market. As we’ve heard, women influence 85 per cent of purchasing power across the world. However, they do not have as much influence in terms of what is actually developed.”

The Leading Women Summit 2018 sees Allan Gray Orbis CEO Yogavelli Nambiar, Enterprise Room CEO Tracey Webster, Siemens CEO Sabine Dall’Omo and MTN SA consumer business unit executive Mapula Bodibe tacklea discussion around the role of women in business @gazeta_rk_media @LWSummit pic.twitter.com/xkStkE3xxP

— OnlyOneOfAKind (@QuestDaGr8st) March 8, 2018

In addition, Bodibe said it was becoming increasingly important for women to take onus and ensure that change comes about and for women’s needs to become a priority. “The fact that we have the technology today helps us a lot because technology can actually accelerate how women’s requirements are better served.”

Alexander Leibner, head of ABN Event Productions told the Gazette that the summit was a flagship women’s event that aimed to connect women from across the world, on a much broader scale.

“It’s really just such a diverse group of women from such different fields who are all thought leaders and champions in their particular sector,” said Leibner. “They’ve all fought their battles to get to where they are in very different genres.”

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