09/08/2026
As I sit and reflect on today, my heart is full!
Thank you to every woman who believed in us, trusted us and chose to be part of our second Women’s Day Round Table. Although we hosted something similar a few years ago, this gathering felt different.
It felt intentional.
It felt personal.
It felt necessary.
We intentionally kept our numbers at 26, representing 2026. Not simply because of the number, but because we wanted an intimate space where women could connect, share, listen, learn and build meaningful bonds.
Because today was more than just a gathering.
It was about the commitments we need to make to ourselves, about ourselves.
When our Media team wanted to do the live and our You Tube God said No let's make this a platform for you all to be vulnerable, Indeed it worked.
Our theme, “Shades of Chocolate,” reminded us that just like chocolate comes in different shades, flavours and forms, so do we.
We are beautifully different.
Different backgrounds.
Different stories.
Different struggles.
Different gifts.
Different strengths.
And yet, when we come together, we create something beautiful.
Something more even more beautiful than the beauty that filled out venue today, Oh bebebahle abafazi, bahle maan abafazi!
Today was a celebration of who we are, where we come from, the journeys that have shaped us and the strength we carry as women.
WHY THIS DAY IS PERSONAL TO ME
I have always believed in the strength of women.
I was raised by a woman who showed me, through her own life, what strength, resilience and sacrifice look like.
My father worked far away in the mines, which meant that my mother carried many of the everyday responsibilities of raising us, guiding us and shaping who we became.
Through her, I learnt that a woman's strength isn't always found in the things people see.
Sometimes it is found in the quiet sacrifices.
The prayers nobody hears.
The perseverance nobody applauds.
The love that keeps giving.
And the courage to keep moving forward.
That is why creating spaces where women can come together is so important to me.
Because sometimes we simply need to sit around a table and remind one another:
You are not alone,sikhona and we've got you!
THE WOMAN WE ARE BECOMING
Today we also acknowledged the silent battles many women fight.
The changes in our bodies.
The pain we endure.
The decisions we sometimes have to make about our health.
The seasons that force us to redefine ourselves.
Childbirth.
Miscarriages.
Fertility struggles. Menopause. Hysterectomies.
Illness.
Loss.
And so many personal journeys that are often carried quietly.
Namhlanje sithe A woman's worth is not defined by the parts of her body she has lost.
It is not defined by the challenges she has faced.
It is not defined by the season she is currently in.
A woman is defined by her courage to rise, adapt, heal and continue becoming.
I personally understand that journey.
There was a time when I thought being a Proverbs 31 woman was an impossible standard.
I remember thinking:
“There is just no way!”
Because I imagined this woman who had everything together, always strong, always capable, always getting it right.
But life has taught me differently.
The Proverbs 31 woman is not a perfect woman.
She is a woman who grows through challenges.
She learns.
She adapts.
She serves.
She builds.
She loves.
She falls.
She gets back up.
And she continues to become.
It is through life's experiences that we discover what we are truly capable of.
Because strength is not about never breaking.
Sometimes strength is about rebuilding yourself when life tests you.
Every scar.
Every sacrifice.
Every difficult season.
Every challenge.
They have shaped us.
And they are not signs of weakness.
They are evidence of battles we survived.
UMPHAKO!
Our guest speaker, Bongiwe Mafani, left us with powerful tools that challenged us not only to reflect, but to act.
She reminded us to know our value system and, before anything else, to ask ourselves:
“Who are you?”
We were reminded to never ask for permission to shine.
To be a woman of courage.
To do it scared.
Not to confuse our setback with a stop sign. When given an opportunity to excel.
Not to become comfortable with the status quo.
To have a specialty. Know what you bring to the table.
To remember that the power is in rising when you have fallen.
To be a woman who will lead, speak and build.
To pursue your dreams.
To rise above what you say to yourself.
And perhaps one of the most powerful reminders:
YOU BELONG AT THE TABLE.
Not because someone gave you permission to be there.
But because you have earned your place.
And then came the question that I believe we should all carry with us long after today:
WHAT AM I GOING TO DO FOR MYSELF IN THE NEXT 365 DAYS?
Not what am I going to do for everyone else.
Not what does everyone expect from me.
But:
What am I going to do for ME?
What dream will I pursue?
What skill will I develop?
What business will I build?
What conversation will I finally have?
What fear will I confront?
What will I stop tolerating?
What will I start?
What will I finish?
What will I become?
Because we were reminded:
WE ARE REWRITING HISTORY! 👑
❤️ THE QUESTIONS WE LEAVE WITH
Today wasn't just about celebrating women.
It was about reflecting on ourselves.
We asked:
“Have I chosen myself in the journey I am currently in?”
And perhaps one of the most personal questions:
“What would I say to my 13-year-old self?”
What would we tell that little girl who didn't yet understand her worth?
What would we tell the younger version of ourselves who believed the voices that made us feel less beautiful, less capable or less worthy?
And now, looking forward:
Who do I want to be one year from today?
Today gives us the opportunity to make a commitment to ourselves for the next 365 days.
A commitment to choose ourselves.
To embrace ourselves.
To believe in our abilities.
To walk boldly in our purpose.
To invest in ourselves.
To grow.
To heal.
To pursue our dreams.
To become the women we are called to be.
WHEN WOMEN SUPPORT WOMEN
For the women in business, today was also about creating a platform to share what you do, showcase your products and services, create connections and open doors for one another.
Because we need to remember:
Another woman's success does not take away from ours.
Her light does not make ours dimmer.
Her success can inspire us.
Her courage can encourage us.
Her journey can create possibilities for someone else.
You belong at the table.
There is room for all of us.
Today reminded me that when women come together with the intention to learn, share and uplift one another, something powerful happens.
We don't just transform ourselves.
We transform families.
We transform communities.
We transform generations.
So, to every woman who sat around our table today — thank you.
Thank you for your presence.
Thank you for your vulnerability.
Thank you for your stories.
Thank you for your wisdom.
Thank you for your laughter.
And thank you for trusting us with your time.
May we leave this day with new connections, renewed confidence, deeper self-belief and a commitment to lift another woman as we rise.
May we continue to celebrate every shade of who we are.
May we embrace ourselves.
May we be women of courage.
May we do it scared.
May we rise when we fall.
May we pursue our dreams.
May we never ask for permission to shine.
And above all, may we remember:
WE BELONG AT THE TABLE.
WE ARE REWRITING HISTORY. 👑
Share your knowledge.
Inspire another woman.
Choose yourself.
Lift another woman as you rise.
Because when women empower women, generations are changed.
Stay beautiful!
Happy woman's day.
