Under the theme “Empowering the Future”, the 4th annual Young Leaders Connect (YLC)-IDEAL Leadership Summit and Awards 2024 returns to conclude Women’s Month with the spotlight on gender equity and the future of leadership in South Africa.
The event will be held at the exclusive Standard Bank Global Leadership Centre in Morningside on August 30.
Like the previous editions, the IDEAL Leadership Summit takes place in the morning, followed by the glittering evening awards ceremony in recognition of young trailblazers in entrepreneurship and leadership.
This year, the glamorous privately hosted annual event, which honours the role played by female leaders and entrepreneurs, will attract the country’s inspiring women, with various women-inspired panel discussions and engagements.
According to the organisers of the two-pronged event, the stage is set to celebrate the future of South Africa’s female movers, shakers and innovators across six award categories. The awards will celebrate the IDEAL Authentic Leader, IDEAL Innovative Entrepreneur, IDEAL Propeller Entrepreneur, IDEAL Lift Up in Business Leader, IDEAL Emerging Leader, and the newly announced IDEAL Positive Impact Leader award category.
Kicking things off in the morning will be forward-thinking conversations on gender equity, leadership development, and economic growth, featuring panels on topics such as the #1000 Women Leadership Programme.
This conversation unpacks the IWFSA FASSET Women’s Leadership Programme (IFWLP) delivered by education partner Duke Corporate Education (DukeCE).
Among those earmarked to lead the way is International Women’s Forum of South Africa (IWFSA) president Nolitha Fakude, who is also the chairperson of Anglo American’s management board in South Africa and sits on the Anglo American Platinum board as a non-executive director. Thabelo Raphala, managing director of MyDough, is one of the young women of the future who is ready to share her inspirational journey as one of the country’s leading women entrepreneurs.
In what will be the true test of entrepreneurial fortitude, this year, YLC-IDEAL will be preceded by the YLC-IDEAL Pitching competition which will take place on July 26 at a private gathering in Johannesburg.
This competition will see at least 12 entrepreneurs who will be pitching their business ideas to an esteemed judging panel made up of distinguished panellists including Feziwe Mpaku, Karabo Motaung, Raphala, and Sibusiso Nkosi, among others.
YLC co-chairperson Zandile Mathabo Makhaya said she is delighted about this year’s awards ceremony, which will unveil a new category and new female leaders.
“We are delighted to be announcing the return of the YLC-IDEAL Leadership Summit and Awards with all our sponsors and partners. We are also excited about this year’s YLC-IDEAL Entrepreneurship Pitching Competition Awards Dinner, where entrepreneurs stand a chance of walking away R180 000 richer through a number of cash prizes up for grabs, with the number one winner winning R100 000 to use towards their business.”
Lerato Phelane, YLC’s co-chairperson, said this year’s theme reflects YLC and IWFSA’ s vision of inspiring young leaders of the future.
“As suggested by our theme for this year, ‘Empowering the Future’, we are truly inspired by the next generation of women leaders and entrepreneurs, and it goes without saying that the future of this country is in great hands judging by the number of inspirational women who have come through the ranks of this programme,” she said.
The Star