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Media release

Media release

Celebrating female African leadership and excellence for the 11th year at the 2026 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit

9 February 2026

The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit is set to showcase its 11th annual edition, bringing together some of Africa’s most powerful female leaders in business, entertainment, sports, politics and civil society. Held in Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile, on March 18, 2026, at the Sandton Convention Centre, an exceptional lineup of speakers from across Africa and beyond will convene for a day sharing ideas, innovations and impactful practices for Africa’s next chapter of glory and growth.

This year’s edition of the summit, also honoring International Women’s Month, will be held under the theme,  . It will be a powerful call to amplify women’s voices, center their leadership visions, and celebrate the tangible wins shaping the continent’s future.

“For a decade, the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit has led the conversation on leadership, equity and the role of women in Africa’s growth story. How can today’s leaders translate authority into action that moves the continent forward? This is the crucial discourse we look forward to every year at the summit, at the same time celebrating outstanding female achievers,” says Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA.

As these conversations continue to evolve, corporates are also taking on a more deliberate role to advance women’s empowerment across Africa. It is for this reason that FORBES WOMAN AFRICA is proud to partner with McDonald’s South Africa for the fourth consecutive year. On the partnership, Daniel Padiachy, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at McDonald’s South Africa, says: “At McDonald’s South Africa, empowering women is not a side initiative — it’s central to how we build sustainable communities. Platforms like the Leading Women Summit align deeply with our Together Mzansi campaign, which is about unity, shared progress and creating real opportunities for women to thrive.”

From fireside chats, one-on-one interviews and robust panel discussions to powerful spotlight segments and exciting performances, the day-long summit will conclude with the prestigious FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards, honoring women who have made remarkable strides in their careers, and this segment will be followed by a celebratory after-party.

Returning to the important task of recognizing and promoting stellar female leadership on the day will be ABSA.

“As we enter the second year of our partnership as the official banking partner of the summit, we are proud to continue standing alongside a platform that elevates women’s leadership across the continent. As a bank dedicated to empowering Africa’s future, this ongoing collaboration reinforces our commitment to championing women’s achievements and unlocking opportunity one story at a time. We remain focused on addressing challenges within women’s leadership, ensuring our voices continue to drive meaningful progress, because in every story, we see the potential to shape Africa’s future”, says Candice Thurston, Absa Group: Managing Executive, Brand and Marketing.

Presented by headline partner, McDonald’s South Africa, with ABSA as the official banking partner, the day-long summit and awards will also see the Stanford Graduate School of Business join as an associate collaborator for the first time, with CNBC Africa as media partner. The day will also be an immersive experience filled with dynamic activations to engage and inspire attendees.

The speaker line-up includes the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, H.E. Judith Suminwa Tuluka; cybersecurity lecturer and author Popina Khumanda; Miss Universe South Africa 2025 Melissa Nayimuli; Ethiopian fashion entrepreneur Mahlet Afework; South African Olympic ski racer Lara Markthaler; Miss World Somalia 2025 Zainab Jama; Nigerian motorbike adventurer Ebaide Joy and Grammy-award winning singer and businesswoman Chandrika Tandon, among others. More than 30 additional speakers are set to be announced closer to the event, with over 1,000 attendees from more than 50 countries expected on the day.

Tickets for the 2026 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit and Awards are now available at:

https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1576335252

9 February 2026

The FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit is set to showcase its 11th annual edition, bringing together some of Africa’s most powerful female leaders in business, entertainment, sports, politics and civil society. Held in Sandton, Africa’s richest square mile, on March 18, 2026, at the Sandton Convention Centre, an exceptional lineup of speakers from across Africa and beyond will convene for a day sharing ideas, innovations and impactful practices for Africa’s next chapter of glory and growth.

This year’s edition of the summit, also honoring International Women’s Month, will be held under the theme,  . It will be a powerful call to amplify women’s voices, center their leadership visions, and celebrate the tangible wins shaping the continent’s future.

“For a decade, the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit has led the conversation on leadership, equity and the role of women in Africa’s growth story. How can today’s leaders translate authority into action that moves the continent forward? This is the crucial discourse we look forward to every year at the summit, at the same time celebrating outstanding female achievers,” says Renuka Methil, Managing Editor of FORBES AFRICA.

As these conversations continue to evolve, corporates are also taking on a more deliberate role to advance women’s empowerment across Africa. It is for this reason that FORBES WOMAN AFRICA is proud to partner with McDonald’s South Africa for the fourth consecutive year. On the partnership, Daniel Padiachy, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer at McDonald’s South Africa, says: “At McDonald’s South Africa, empowering women is not a side initiative — it’s central to how we build sustainable communities. Platforms like the Leading Women Summit align deeply with our Together Mzansi campaign, which is about unity, shared progress and creating real opportunities for women to thrive.”

From fireside chats, one-on-one interviews and robust panel discussions to powerful spotlight segments and exciting performances, the day-long summit will conclude with the prestigious FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards, honoring women who have made remarkable strides in their careers, and this segment will be followed by a celebratory after-party.

Returning to the important task of recognizing and promoting stellar female leadership on the day will be ABSA.

“As we enter the second year of our partnership as the official banking partner of the summit, we are proud to continue standing alongside a platform that elevates women’s leadership across the continent. As a bank dedicated to empowering Africa’s future, this ongoing collaboration reinforces our commitment to championing women’s achievements and unlocking opportunity one story at a time. We remain focused on addressing challenges within women’s leadership, ensuring our voices continue to drive meaningful progress, because in every story, we see the potential to shape Africa’s future”, says Candice Thurston, Absa Group: Managing Executive, Brand and Marketing.

Presented by headline partner, McDonald’s South Africa, with ABSA as the official banking partner, the day-long summit and awards will also see the Stanford Graduate School of Business join as an associate collaborator for the first time, with CNBC Africa as media partner. The day will also be an immersive experience filled with dynamic activations to engage and inspire attendees.

The speaker line-up includes the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, H.E. Judith Suminwa Tuluka; cybersecurity lecturer and author Popina Khumanda; Miss Universe South Africa 2025 Melissa Nayimuli; Ethiopian fashion entrepreneur Mahlet Afework; South African Olympic ski racer Lara Markthaler; Miss World Somalia 2025 Zainab Jama; Nigerian motorbike adventurer Ebaide Joy and Grammy-award winning singer and businesswoman Chandrika Tandon, among others. More than 30 additional speakers are set to be announced closer to the event, with over 1,000 attendees from more than 50 countries expected on the day.

Tickets for the 2026 FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit and Awards are now available at:

https://www.webtickets.co.za/v2/event.aspx?itemid=1576335252