About Us
Our Story
A journey from a network of women leaders to a Pan-African development institution.
Timeline
How LWA grew
2008
Foundation
LWA is founded to create a platform for African women in business and leadership.
2009–2012
Early leadership development
First leadership convenings and professional development activities.
2013–2016
Network expansion
Membership expands across additional African markets.
2017–2019
Regional engagement
Deeper engagement with regional institutions and government partners.
2019–2021
Business networks
Sector and professional business networks formalise.
2021–2022
Policy dialogue
Structured policy dialogue and roundtables begin.
2022–2023
Investment initiatives
Capital readiness and investment facilitation work develops.
2023–2024
Geopolitical dialogue
Women in Geopolitics is established as a dialogue platform.
2024–2025
Partnerships
Partnerships with NGOs, corporates, institutions and technology partners deepen.
2026
Current ecosystem
An integrated ecosystem of community, academy, directories, opportunities and capital pathways.
2030
Ambition
Impact at scale across the continent and the global African diaspora.
The Journey Behind Leading Women of Africa
From an African Renaissance vision to a Pan-African institution
Told by the founder — a journey that began in 1999 and continues today.
1999
Where it began
In 1999, at the beginning of a professional journey in financial administration in South Africa, something took root that could not be fully explained at the time. It was the era of the African Renaissance — President Thabo Mbeki's vision of an Africa reclaiming its identity, dignity, resources and place in the world. That vision resonated deeply, and with it came a growing awareness of the role African women needed to play in the continent's future.
The question
A question that stayed
Women were working, building businesses, raising families and contributing to economies — yet too often they were spoken about rather than included in the conversations that shaped their futures. A question grew and stayed for years: What would happen if African women were not simply beneficiaries of development, but active architects of Africa's economic and social transformation?
2008
Choosing the vision
In 2008, the decision was made to step away from a secure professional path and build what became Leading Women of Africa (LWA) — launched in May 2008 as a not-for-profit organisation advancing the leadership and economic development of African women entrepreneurs, women-owned businesses and SMMEs. There was no institution behind it and no guarantee of success, only the conviction that African women needed a platform to participate meaningfully in Africa's development.
The philosophy
With women, not for women
The prevailing question was often “What can we do for women?” LWA was built to ask a different one: “What can we do with women?” — creating platforms where women speak for themselves, participate in decision-making, access opportunities, build businesses, influence policy and shape the future of Africa.
The expansion
From empowerment to influence
The vision grew into a broader Pan-African agenda — connecting women with business opportunities, investment, trade, skills, knowledge, policy conversations and strategic networks across government, business, academia and civil society. Engagement stretched across African countries and regions, and internationally to Europe, the Middle East, the United States and global platforms, reinforcing one conviction: Africa cannot transform itself in isolation.
Today
A journey that continues to evolve
Through Women in Geopolitics, greater space is being created for African women in conversations on geopolitics, diplomacy, international affairs, security, trade and global decision-making. And through the Pan-African Women Leaders Caucus, women leaders across Africa and the diaspora work to strengthen collaboration, collective leadership and influence. The belief remains the same as it was in 1999.