From November 18–20, 2024, over 200 trailblazing women from nine African countries gathered in Johannesburg for the Graça Machel Trust’s (GMT) Women Creating Wealth (WCW) Summit. Under the theme Breaking Barriers, Building Wealth, this three-day event became a transformative platform for women entrepreneurs, policymakers, ecosystem builders, and thought leaders to reflect, strategize, and collectively chart the path for Africa’s future economic prosperity.
With a diverse agenda, dynamic speakers, and deeply impactful discussions, the summit sparked conversations around personal growth, systemic change, and the urgent need to reimagine Africa’s entrepreneurial landscape. Here’s a recap of the major highlights:
Photo: Summit guests finalising their registration accreditation for the 3-day Summit.
Day 1: Mapping the Landscape of Entrepreneurship
The summit opened with a dynamic showcase of entrepreneurial excellence, as women entrepreneurs from across the continent exhibited their products and services. The exhibition hall buzzed with energy, providing a platform for participants to connect, share their innovations, and inspire one another. Entrepreneurs demonstrated the breadth of African women’s ingenuity, from cutting-edge technology solutions to creative crafts and impactful social enterprises.
Photo: Engaging moments – Guests connecting with innovative entrepreneurs showcasing their businesses.
The room was filled with distinguished guests, including policymakers, investors, and industry leaders, all committed to advancing women’s economic empowerment. Among the esteemed attendees was H.E Zanele Mbeki, founder of Women’s Development Bank, former First Lady of South Africa. She is a passionate advocate for women’s leadership and economic inclusion. Her presence underscored the importance of the summit’s mission and set an inspiring tone for the days ahead.
Photo: H.E Zanele Mbeki (centre) celebrated her birthday on November 18th at the WCW Summit, surrounded by esteemed guests honoring her presence and contributions.
The programme was officially opened by Theo Sowa, Interim CEO of the Graça Machel Trust, who set the stage for the summit’s objectives with a compelling call to action: “This summit is about more than creating wealth; it’s about dismantling the systemic barriers that hold women back, while building a collaborative future where their voices are at the forefront of Africa’s transformation. Together, we must lead boldly and unapologetically.”
Photo: Theo Sowa, Interim CEO of the Graça Machel Trust, delivering inspiring opening remarks on Day 1 of the WCW Summit.
The opening session also included a presentation of the Regional Analysis of the Entrepreneurship Landscape: Financial Inclusion and Policy Ecosystems Research on Barriers and Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs. The presentation was delivered by Shiphra Chisha, Director of Programmes at the Graça Machel Trust, and Jeconiah Opiyo Makoude, Researcher at Innovia Research. Their insights provided a comprehensive overview of the challenges women entrepreneurs face in accessing financial and policy ecosystems while highlighting actionable opportunities to foster inclusive growth.
Photo: Shiphra Chisha, Director of Programmes at the Graça Machel Trust, and Jeconiah Opiyo Makoude, Researcher at Innovia Research, present key insights from their Regional Analysis of the Entrepreneurship Landscape.
Following this, Mrs. Graça Machel delivered a powerful keynote address, passionately calling for a mindset shift and urging African women to reject limitations and embrace wealth creation as a right.
“The first thing that has to change is for us to believe that we have reasons to be wealthy,” Machel asserted, challenging long-held narratives that confine African women to the informal sector. She emphasised the importance of collective action, stating that no one can dismantle barriers alone, and called for solidarity across sectors and nations.
Photo: H.E Graça Machel, Founder and Chair at the Graça Machel Trust delivering the keynote address of Day 1.
One of the sessions on Day 1 explored the misalignment between education and labor market needs, with experts like Naomy Lintini from the International Labour Organization (ILO) spotlighting opportunities in digital skills development while cautioning against infrastructure gaps. “You can’t do IT where there is no IT infrastructure,” Lintini remarked, highlighting the importance of a holistic approach to skills development.
Other sessions on the day focused on youth entrepreneurship, financial inclusion, and leveraging digital transformation for growth, with discussions emphasizing how women entrepreneurs can take advantage of Africa’s burgeoning digital economy.
Photo: Participants at the WCW Summit engaging in meaningful dialogues and discussions throughout the day.
The day concluded with the vibrant WCW-Afrishela Ecosystem Mixer, a networking event that brought together entrepreneurs, industry leaders, visionary investors, and key policymakers.
Photo: WCW-Afrishela Ecosystem Mixer where guests mingled with various entrepreneurs, industry leaders, visionary investors, and key policymakers.
Day 2: Catalysing Growth and Celebrating Excellence
Day 2 centered on practical solutions for advancing women entrepreneurs through access to finance, policy innovation, and sectoral growth. In the plenary titled Bridging the Gap: Policy Solutions for Advancing Women Entrepreneurs in Africa, Christine Muyama, Advocacy Officer at the Graça Machel Trust (GMT) shared an inspiring example from Uganda, where advocacy by women entrepreneurs led to more inclusive criteria for the country’s GROW Fund.
Photo: Christine Muyama, Advocacy Officer at the Graça Machel Trust (left), moderating a panel discussion on Policy Solutions for Advancing Women Entrepreneurs in Africa.
HE Sauda Msemo, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, reported significant strides in financial inclusion, with 76% of women in Tanzania now accessing financial services. However, she stressed the need for intentional policies to close gender gaps further, noting, “Just singing songs about bringing women on board is not enough; we need to take intentional policy decisions.”
Photo: HE Sauda Msemo, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Tanzania, in a panel discussion reporting on the significant strides in financial inclusion in Tanzania.
The day also featured vibrant discussions on unlocking markets, scaling agribusiness, and advancing trade through frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Women leaders shared insights on building resilient supply chains, leveraging fintech, and navigating global markets to help entrepreneurs thrive sustainably.
Photo: An insightful panel on access to finance, moderated by Ms. Andia Chakava, with esteemed speakers Ms. Ann Leepile, Dr. Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula, Ms. Yvonne Maitin, and Ms. Dipuo Phakathi, highlighting the power of gender lens investing.
Photo: A panel discussion on unlocking market access for emerging businesses, featuring Ms. Betty Mkatshwa, Ms. Futhi Mtoba, and Ms. Thato Mokhothu, and moderated by Ms. Mpumi Maesela, exploring routes to market, preferential procurement, and the role of competition policy.
Day 2 concluded with the WCW Gala Dinner and Awards, a celebratory highlight of the summit. This inspiring evening honored outstanding entrepreneurs who have excelled in the programme. Among the winners of the night was Dipuo Phakathi, CEO of Denic Cabinets, who received an award for significant turnover, and Gugu Masondo – founder of ‘The Blend Wellness’, who was announced the winner of the Youth Jumpstarter Challenge, an initiative that challenged youth to start a business in 7 days and make it produce revenue. Attendees also had the opportunity to connect with industry leaders, policymakers, and visionaries, deepening the network of African women committed to breaking barriers and driving transformative change.
Photo: Shiphra Chisha, Director of Programmes (left), and Thelma Bamhare, Programme Manager (right) at the Graça Machel Trust, celebrate with Dipuo Phakathi, CEO of Denic Cabinets (middle), as she receives the award for achieving significant business turnover.
Photo: Winner of the Youth Jumpstarter Challenge, Gugu Masondo, founder of The Blend Wellness (center), alongside Korkor Cudjoe, Senior Entrepreneurship Manager at the Graça Machel Trust (left), and Faith Namalwa, Youth Lead (right).
Day 3: Reflection and Next Steps
The final day of the summit was a powerful reflection on accomplishments and forward-thinking strategies. In an emotional closing keynote, Gemma M. Mbegabolawe of the African Continental Free Trade Area encouraged participants to embrace bold leadership while preserving their cultural identities. The day’s sessions celebrated the wealth-creation journeys of African women entrepreneurs, with panelists sharing stories of overcoming barriers and driving transformative change.
Photo: Gemma M. Mbegabolawe of the African Continental Free Trade Area delivering closing keynote address via Zoom.
Participants closed the summit by outlining actionable steps for the future. Mrs. Graça Machel delivered a heartfelt speech, emphasising the collective impact of women’s leadership on the continent’s economic landscape. She reminded attendees: “Stand tall and remember that when you walk into any room, you carry with you the aspirations of millions of African women.”
Photo: H.E Graça Machel, Founder and Chair at the Graça Machel Trust delivering the closing remarks of the WCW Summit.
Key Takeaways and Calls to Action
The Women Creating Wealth Summit was not just a meeting— it was the beginning of a movement. It reaffirmed the power of women to shape Africa’s economic future and underscored the importance of addressing systemic barriers through policy innovation, digital transformation, and financial inclusion. The event also highlighted the need for a mindset shift, both individually and collectively, to redefine what wealth creation means for African women.
As participants departed the summit, they carried with them new connections, actionable strategies, and a renewed sense of purpose—ready to break barriers and build wealth, not just for themselves but for generations to come.
Photo: H.E. Graça Machel, Founder and Chair of the Graça Machel Trust, warmly engaging with entrepreneurs, inspiring hope and ambition at the closing of the WCW Summit.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.