Rachel Kolisi and Africa’s top trailblazers ignite the Forbes Woman Africa Summit 2026

Women from all over the continent gathered in the heart of Johannesburg, at Sandton Convention Centre, for the annual Forbes Woman Africa Leading Women Summit, an event that celebrates and honours women who are trailblazers across various sectors and industries.

The 2026 edition carried the theme The Voice, Vision, and Victories of Her Africa, spotlighting women who are shaping industries, rewriting narratives and driving economic transformation.

Speakers during the various panel discussions shared insights, knowledge and indulged in conversations about different industries such as fashion, arts, business, economy and more.

A defining highlight remains the emotive Spotlight segment, where entrepreneurs, executives and creatives shared their personal stories of resilience and reinvention. 

Rachel Kolisi, a women's rights advocate and philanthropist, shared an emotional speech during the Spotlight segment. 

She shared her personal struggle, confessing that despite weeks of preparation, the night prior to the summit, she felt inadequate and undeserving of the Forbes platform.

“I went back to my hotel room, and I sat on the floor. I was this close to emailing the Forbes team to say ‘Actually, I can’t do this. I’m not enough'.

"What have I done and what have I achieved to be on this stage?”

Kolisi recounted how, in that moment, she decided to redo her speech. She chose to focus on the theme of confronting seemingly impossible tasks or goals, emphasising the importance of getting up and showing up regardless of the difficulty.

“I realised maybe this is the moment I need to be talking about, maybe it’s not the talk that I have spent weeks preparing and getting coached for.

“Maybe it was the moment about how impossible sometimes things can feel, but you get up, and you do it anyway.

“Sometimes we are not able to show up as our strongest, most confident, most put-together version of ourselves. Sometimes we are walking around with brokenness, sometimes we are walking around with mess, we are walking around unclear about our lives,” she said.

Miss SA 2025, Qhawekazi Mazaleni, also took to the stage and delivered a speech about influence, advocacy, accessible education, inclusivity and redefining modern leadership.

She added that she took the initiative to publish a book in her home language titled "Amasele Amdaka", which is designed to teach children reading and counting skills in their home language.

Mazaleni further added that the book is currently in development to be available in more South African languages.

Among the women who took to the stage during the Spotlight segment are Miss World Ethiopia 2025 Zainab Jama, South African alpine ski racer Lara Markthaler, and Ghanaian Afro-soul artist Akuvi.

After the impactful summit, the event swiftly transitioned to the awards segment, which was hosted by actress and comedian Celeste Ntuli. 

Actress Thuso Mbedu received the Entertainer of the Year Award, legendary singer Yvonne Chaka-Chaka was honoured with the Legacy Award, while Former President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde was awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition, the managing director of “Black Like Me”, Connie Mashaba, received the Businesswoman of the Year award, while Lara Markthaler was honoured with the Excellence in Sports Award.

The night concluded with electrifying performances by Mafikizolo, DBN Gogo, Murda Bongs and Zee Nxumalo for the after party.