26th Annual Women in Business Conference

Blasting Engineer & Managing Director, Laduma Blasting

Desire is the missing middle - someone who lived and experienced the lifestyle of our darkest days pre-1994, who was the happiest to finally feel “Free” and get one’s dignity back post-1994. Her personal driver was the “Freedom” that the new era afforded all of us. This led her to running three successful businesses across three industries (accounting & tax, hospitality, and construction) and raising four children who have found their own success.

Media Personality (Radio Presenter, VO artist, MC, and Podcast Host)

Sylvia A is a dynamic, multi-talented media personality based in Cape Town. She's a radio presenter, voiceover artist, MC, podcast host, and content creator—bringing energy, warmth, and authenticity to everything she does. As a Radio presenter of over 10 years, she lights up the airwaves on Smile FM, hosting the early morning show from 5–6 AM on weekdays and a Saturday afternoon show from 2–6. PM. As a full-time voiceover artist, Sylvia lends her voice to a variety of projects and brands. She's also a vibrant and engaging MC whose mission is to encourage, entertain, and inform every audience she meets. Sylvia is the host of Coffee & Comfort—a Christian podcast that offers inspiration, encouragement, and honest reflections on life and faith. Online, she creates content that’s fun, uplifting, and relatable. At the heart of everything she does is a deep purpose: to make people feel good, informed, inspired, and entertained—just by being herself and using her God-given gifts to serve others.

Founder & CEO, Style Rotate

Natasha is the founder of Style Rotate, a fashion rental platform redefining how women engage with occasionwear. She is driven by a passion for sustainability, circular fashion, and building a business that reflects both purpose and innovation. Her journey has been one of risk-taking, resilience, and reimagining what success looks like as a woman in business- not just in profit, but in impact and values. Lately, she's focused on scaling ethically while creating space for other women to lead boldly and authentically.

Founder & CEO, Adora Earth

Noor Jehan Docrat is the Founder and CEO of Adora Earth, a women-led, Africa-rooted social impact organisation advancing inclusive, sustainable economies through community-driven entrepreneurship and innovation. Recognised globally as an Impact Pioneer, she leads high-impact programmes that blend entrepreneurship with inner development and resilience. A UCT GSB graduate, she believes true leadership is not about visibility, but about creating space for others to rise.

Director (Dean) of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Dr Catherine Duggan is Director (Dean) of the University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business (UCT GSB). Her research examines the political economy of development and doing business in Africa, where she has done work in two dozen countries over more than twenty years. She has written cases on countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe on topics such as macroeconomic volatility and political risk, extractive industries, institutions, finance and technology, and she regularly engages with governments, companies, entrepreneurs and universities across the African continent and around the world. Prior to joining the UCT GSB she was Vice Dean at the African Leadership University School of Business, a Visiting Scholar at Saïd Business School at Oxford University and served on the Harvard Business School faculty for nearly a decade. At HBS she earned several awards, including being the first woman in the school’s history to receive the Faculty Award for Outstanding Teaching in the Required curriculum in two consecutive years. She holds a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a B.A. with honors from Brown University.

Empowerment Specialist & Author, The Ten Permissions

For the past 30 years, Jill Reilly has been working around the globe helping people navigate profound change, and it's given her an unparalleled education in human growth and adaptation. She's captured those lessons in her new book, The Ten Permissions, and her aim today is to help people navigate this beautifully chaotic world with confidence, clarity – and a whole lot of courage.

Social Entrepreneur and Strategist

Zoë Boshoff is a social entrepreneur working toward an Africa where extraordinary researchers have the strategic clarity and resources they need to make their greatest contribution to society. She is the founder of the African Research Funding Accelerator, a strategy platform that equips researchers and research teams to become investment-ready and secure career-defining donor and grant funding. Through her consultancy, Flametree Fundraising, she also supports nonprofits and research institutes in building powerful, values-aligned strategies. Zoë works alongside a collective of female entrepreneurs — each leading their own business, but united by a shared purpose and brand ethos.

Businesswoman and Co-Founder of Kolisi Foundation

Rachel Kolisi is a dynamic and influential leader, recognized for her dedication to social justice, philanthropy, and community empowerment. She was born and raised in South Africa where she developed a deep-rooted passion for helping others and advocating for those in need. Her personal experiences growing up in a diverse and often challenging environment shaped her understanding of inequality and fueled her commitment to making a difference. Rachel is a vocal advocate for women’s rights, equality, and social justice. Her authenticity and willingness to engage with her followers have made her a relatable and respected voice in the public sphere. As a Co-Founder of the Kolisi Foundation, Rachel has played a pivotal role in driving meaningful change in South Africa, focusing on some of the country's most pressing issues, including Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Education & Sports Development, and Food Security.

Head of Transformation at Woolworths

Zinzi champions systemic change through the Inclusive Justice Initiative, fostering social justice across workplaces, value chains, and communities. A Council for Social Justice Champions member and Commissioner for Employment Equity, she previously built transformative partnerships across Africa as Director of Corporate Affairs. At Unstoppable Together, Zinzi will demonstrate why transformation is essential for business sustainability. Her message: excluding populations restrains economic growth. She'll show how human-centric approaches to inclusion aren't just moral imperatives—they're business necessities for creating flourishing economies where everyone can thrive.

Head of Logistics & Services Procurement at A.P. Moller - Maersk

Sophia is a purpose-driven supply chain leader with over a decade of experience across logistics, procurement, and planning. Her work is fueled by a desire to drive impact—commercially, socially, and environmentally—across Africa and beyond. She thrives on building meaningful connections between performance and human engagement. At her core, she believes in resilient, people-centered solutions that create collective progress.

Education & Employability Strategist, Vitrus Consulting

Shivani Ghai is a Strategist, Coach, and Facilitator with over 13 years of experience in Advisory, Consulting, and Project Management. She is the founder of Vitrus Consulting, a boutique consultancy specializing in the Development Sector. Shivani lectures on the Management Consulting Elective at the University of Cape Town’s Graduate School of Business and also serves as Head Teacher for Management Consulting at iXperience. She holds an MBA from the UCT Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering with a Mathematics minor from Texas A&M University.