Promisingly, the 2023 Bold Barometer by Veuve Clicquot revealed that despite global economic challenges, the state of female entrepreneurship is improving in South Africa, with 61 percent of women surveyed being entrepreneurs – a figure on the rise since 2019. That said, most of those surveyed believe they should emulate men to succeed in business. This underscores the vital role of initiatives like these which not only recognise industry pioneers, but also fortify a sustainable future for businesswomen globally.
To this end, a glitzy award ceremony was held in Johannesburg last month bringing together leading businesswomen to network, connect and engage in meaningful conversations around entrepreneurship. It was at this ceremony that the 2023 South African recipients of the Bold Woman Award were announced, receiving their trophies and personal congratulations from the President of Veuve Clicquot, Jean-Marc Gallot, who attended the event in South Africa for the first time.
Providing specialist advice in a male-dominated industry, the Bold Future Award-winner, Zama Ngcobo, founded boutique Black-female-led commercial law firm, WMN Attorneys Inc. Prioritising the progression of women and the youth, her growing law practice promotes a grass-roots approach to the development of legal practitioners. “I originally set out to create a safe space for young, Black, female lawyers to thrive and am immensely proud to represent all of those categories as the Bold Future Award winner,” she comments.
This year’s Bold Woman Award-winner, Reel Gardening founder Claire Blanckenberg, has innovated the home-food cultivation sector. Comprising a simple colour-coded system of embedded seed tape, her patented Garden in a Box has revolutionised the approach to family nutrition while providing an estimated 48 100 households with food security. “When I embarked on this path,there were few female entrepreneurs to mentor me. Today, as one of those women, I hope to inspire others at the start of their journey,” she says. Claire will be hosted at Veuve Clicquot in Reims, France for an immersion in the history and tradition of the Maison.
“We recognise that South Africa’s female entrepreneurs are a national asset. Leading their industries bravely and ethically, women like Claire and Zama dare to be bold, creating better business practices and contributing to flourishing communities,” said Jean-Marc, whose passion for empowering businesswomen through the Bold Programme is rooted in upholding the heritage and essence of the brand.
Veuve Clicquot also officially launched its Bold Open Database of female entrepreneurs in South Africa at the award ceremony. Free of cultural, geographical and technological barriers, this database invites businesswomen to register at boldopendatabase.com and join an illustrious community of women who walk in the footsteps of Madame Clicquot.
