In celebration of Women’s Month, we’ve highlighted leading lights who inspire us daily while redefining sectors in South Africa and beyond. Despite the challenges and obstacles they face, these influential women continue to reshape their sectors, lead with distinction, and break glass ceilings.
The art consultant
ELANA BRUNDYN
Elana Brundyn’s illustrious 25-year-long career from gallerist to museum director and esteemed art consultant has established her as a force in the art milieu in South Africa. Elana’s ability to identify talent in artists and her capacity to make intuitively-led, tailored connections at all levels – from collectors to stakeholders – have contributed to her being internationally renowned in her field.
Elana established an art consultancy with the aim to leave a more pronounced impact within the arts, both on the African continent and abroad. Her exhibition and art consultancy space, Brundyn Arts and Culture, opened with Lebohang Kganye’s solo exhibition ‘Mmoloki wa mehopolo: Breaking Bread with a Wanderer’, on show until 15 October.
Brundyn Arts & Culture is open Wednesday to Friday 10am to 4pm and outside of these hours by appointment.
The garden entrepreneur
CLAIRE BLANCKENBERG
Claire Blanckenberg is the Founder and CEO of Reel Gardening. She first found her passion for gardening when she was 16 and tried to grow vegetables to sell to her parents. Through this experience, she realised the need for an easy solution to grow vegetables correctly.
During her Architecture degree, she designed housing that needed a simple food security solution. It was then that she created the Garden in a Box, a concept designed to feed a family of 4. It encases seeds and nutrients in colour-coded paper tape at the correct distance below the soil, making planting and growing food simple and affordable. This took off and she established the company at the end of 2009. Reel Gardening is now a patented concept.
Designed to be handmade by previously unemployed mothers, Reel Gardening has a positive social impact not only by using their product but also through its creation. The company is a social enterprise, enabling the establishment of household food gardens in impoverished areas across South Africa. In the past 2 years, they have helped over 50,000 households to become food secure.
Claire is the winner of the 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award, South Africa.
The lawyer
ZAMA NGCOBO
With a desire to create a safe space for young black female lawyers to flourish, Zama Ngcobo founded WMN Attorneys Inc., a uniquely positioned, boutique commercial law firm. Providing specialist advice in a male-dominated industry, across the mining, energy, oil, and gas sectors, Zama’s firm prioritises the progress of women at its core and focuses on empowering the next generation to reach their full potential. Zama is the winner of the 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award, South Africa.
Promoting a grass-roots approach to the development of legal practitioners, Zama’s vision extends beyond the confines of her firm. By engaging with the youth to provide access to meaningful opportunities and education, she is empowering the next generation to reach their full potential. “I was determined not to just start a law firm, but also make a lot of noise about it. We’re here, we’re young, we’re black, we’re female and we’re really, really good.”
The fighter pilot
MAJOR MANDISA MFEKA
Major Mandisa Mfeka is a pioneering figure in aviation, breaking barriers as the first black female combat pilot in the South African Air Force. Her passion for flying began at a young age, and she overcame numerous obstacles to achieve remarkable milestones in a male-dominated industry. As a combat pilot, she has displayed exceptional skills and leadership qualities, earning the respect of her peers and superiors. One of her career highlights was flying one of the five SAAF Hawk MK 120 aircraft over Loftus Versveld Stadium during President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration in 2019.
Beyond her military achievements, Major Mandisa advocates for gender equality and empowerment in aviation. She encourages young girls to pursue their dreams in STEM careers, mentoring them to thrive despite societal barriers. Her ground-breaking accomplishments and unwavering dedication serve as an inspiration to aspiring aviators, especially women and people of colour, making her a role model in the aviation industry and beyond.
The pastry chef
CHEF VICKY GUROVICH
Pastry Chef Vicky Gurovich has taken Afternoon Tea to another level of indulgence at the Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel. Back at the helm of the hotel’s pastry department after an eight-year hiatus, Vicky is on a mission to elevate the Nellie’s afternoon tea to new heights as part of the hotel’s gastronomic metamorphosis. Vicky previously worked at The Westcliff Four Seasons in Johannesburg and at the acclaimed Pierneef at La Motte restaurant in Franschhoek, before moving to New Zealand for seven years.
Most recently, Vicky has collaborated with the hotel’s Executive Chef George Jardine to change up the sweet and savoury offerings of its iconic Afternoon Tea. Vicky has introduced melt-in-the-mouth surprises, such as the butternut and roasted vanilla custard mousse, apricot and rooibos delice, and a macadamia nut tart with spiced Chantilly, salted caramel and vanilla mousse.
The sommelier
JENNIFER HUGÉ
FYN Service and Beverage Director Jennifer Hugé, former General Manager at La Colombe, won the inaugural Eat Out John Psillos Award for Outstanding Contribution to Service in 2016 for her significant impact on service standards in the restaurant industry. According to Jennifer, the FYN experience “invites diners to enjoy diverse textures and techniques incorporated in each course, paired with complex and uniquely crafted wines.”
Peter Tempelhoff, with over 20 years’ experience in Michelin-starred restaurants, is at the helm of the team, including Jennifer Hugé and Ashley Moss, that opened FYN in 2018 – which has since been on The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Top 100 list for three consecutive years. FYN was recently awarded the coveted World’s 50 Best Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award, in recognition of Tempelhoff and team’s sustainability philosophy – including foraging and celebrating South African and Japanese ingredients and cuisine, with a focus on supporting local communities. In 2023, FYN was also the first stand-alone restaurant in Africa invited into the prestigious Relais & Châteaux association.
Jennifer is known for her warm, welcoming presence, her attention to detail, and expertise in food and wine pairings.
The social entrepreneur and climate activist
CATHERINE CONSTANTINIDES
Catherine Constantinides is a social entrepreneur, social justice activist, thought leader and climate activist focused on climate change, and food and water security. Catherine has spoken on global platforms such as the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva and the UN Security Council in New York. She was guest of honour at the closing ceremony at the World Youth Forum in Egypt. She has over a decade’s experience in education creating awareness around climate change, sustainable development, agriculture, and women’s empowerment.
Former Miss Earth South Africa in 2003, she now serves as Director of Miss Earth South Africa. Catherine was the youngest to receive an Archbishop Tutu Leadership Fellow, received the Ubuntu Youth Diplomacy Award for Youth Diplomacy from the South African government and was named Mail & Guardian’s 200 Young South Africans. Catherine also received the South African Young Woman Entrepreneur Award for Women Empowerment in 2012 and in 2016, she was chosen as one of the Mandela Washington Fellows as part of the Young African Leaders Initiative.
