MEDIA RELEASE

01 OCTOBER 2024

RMB’s Africa’s Fearless Thinker Award: finalists announced

RMB is proud to be a category sponsor for the Gender Mainstreaming Awards (GMAs) – a  Business Engage initiative. The GMA awards acknowledge and celebrate women who are represented meaningfully in mainstream business across Africa. This is RMB’s third year sponsoring the RMB Africa’s Fearless Thinker Award – an accolade that celebrates pioneering women across Africa who have demonstrated exceptional creativity, innovation and courage in addressing pressing societal challenges.

The top five finalists for the category this year are:

Albertinah Kekana

Albertinah Kekana

As the CEO of Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH), Albertinah has transformed the company into a powerhouse of economic growth and empowerment, directly benefiting the Royal Bafokeng Nation (RBN) and beyond. She has spearheaded RBH’s portfolio diversification strategy, expanding its investments across various high-growth sectors and increasing the company's net asset value to R49 billion. As a gender equality champion, she has led RBH to increase its EXCO demographic to 83% black and female, and 57% of RBH’s overall staff complement being female.

Under her leadership, RBH has implemented numerous community-focused initiatives to create positive social impact, including targeted education, sustainability and socio-economic interventions. Albertinah has applied the understanding garnered in her journey from a humble background to corporate success by mentoring numerous young professionals, particularly women, towards successful careers in finance and investment.

Beyond her professional role, Albertinah has personally invested in a number of sectors to promote sustainable growth and empowerment. Her work in empowering women, advocating for gender equality, and fostering community development is a shining example of how visionary leadership can create lasting, positive change.

Dr Augusta Dorning

Dr Augusta Dorning

Dr Augusta Dorning is the only healthcare leader in South Africa to date, to have served in the public, not-for-profit and private healthcare sectors. She is an independent thought leader in her industry and is regarded as one of South Africa's most influential people in healthcare.

Augusta has always spoken truth to power and has been widely recognised and awarded for her commitments to social justice. From as early as her twenties, she created the essential processes needed for patients to receive care during the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

She gives her time and energy to build the confidence of all who cross her path. She has grown numerous healthcare leaders who today serve in the public, non-governmental and private healthcare sectors in South Africa and the rest of the world. This includes six aspiring healthcare leaders whom she has nurtured pro bono for the last 14 years.

Augusta has been a practising academic since 2009 and lectures regularly at local and international universities. She writes for magazines and academic journals and speaks at conferences on healthcare leadership each year.

Mary Bomela

Mary Bombela

With over two decades’ experience in senior management roles, including eight years as the CEO of the Mineworkers Investment Company (MIC), Mary has established herself as a pioneering leader in the financial services industry. Her strategic vision, innovative thinking, and commitment to gender mainstreaming significantly impact her colleagues, the companies she leads, and the broader community.  

Mary’s fearless approach is evident in MIC’s transformation where she introduced a new management structure, streamlined operations, and handpicked a team of highly skilled professionals to double the company’s net value in eight years. She also transformed MIC into a dynamic, forward-thinking and inclusive investment company.

She is deeply committed to empowering women in finance – a sector traditionally dominated by men. She believes in the importance of education and mentorship and dedicates substantial effort to develop the next generation of female leaders. Her involvement in the MIC schools’ entrepreneurship and student development programme is testament to this commitment. This initiative is designed to empower students and school management with entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to independently raise funds and sustain their programmes.

Mary’s role as a non-executive director in various companies across diverse sectors such as media, gaming, banking, mining, and medicine further amplifies her influence. She actively contributes to the strategic direction of these companies, advocating transformation and inclusive leadership. She chairs the Social, Ethics, and Transformation board subcommittees at Primedia Ltd and Metrofile and is currently enrolled in a PhD programme at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS).

Dr Adriana Marais

Dr Adriana Marais

Dr. Adriana Marais is a visionary leader whose ground-breaking work in space exploration and sustainability demonstrates her fearless and innovative approach to tackling some of the most pressing issues of our time. She has made significant contributions to gender mainstreaming, technology for social good, and showed an unwavering pursuit of a harmonious future for humanity at the Foundation for Space Development Africa and Advisory for Conscious LeadHERS.

She was selected as one of 100 international astronaut candidates for the Mars One Project. Despite the project’s bankruptcy, she founded Proudly Human where she continues her mission to prepare humanity for life beyond earth, while simultaneously addressing critical issues on our home planet.

The Off-World Project – a series of habitation experiments in extreme environments on earth, is testament to her unique vision. This project not only prepares for future off-world settlements, but also promotes sustainable technologies, skills development, and community spirit for those surviving in harsh conditions.

Her work directly benefits marginalised communities, providing them with the tools and technologies needed for a better quality life. Adriana’s contributions extend beyond immediate project outcomes. Her advocacy for technology for social good and her involvement with various organisations, including the Foundation for Space Development Africa and the South African Government Ministerial Task Team on the fourth industrial revolution, highlight her dedication to creating a broader societal impact.

Her PhD and postdoctoral research in quantum biology, focusing on the origins of life in space, reflect her deep commitment to scientific discovery. By leveraging her expertise in quantum physics and bio-inspired technologies, she has made significant contributions to understanding the fundamental building blocks of life and their implications for both Earth and space exploration.

Through her lectures, public speaking engagements and media appearances, she encourages young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) – emphasising the importance of exploration and innovation. Her role as a faculty member at Singularity University and Duke Corporate Education allows her to influence and mentor the next generation of leaders.

Emma Whalley-Hands

Emma Whalley-Hands

Emma Whalley-Hands has demonstrated ground-breaking thought leadership on gender mainstreaming issues and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. From dismantling gender biases in recruitment, to fostering inclusive leadership, Emma has championed a better tomorrow throughout her career at PwC.

Emma was the first person at PwC UK to take Shared Parental Leave when her daughter was born. She worked with PwC UK to define a fit-for-purpose policy interpretation of new Shared Parental Leave guidance in the UK.

She is the Executive Sponsor for PwC SHINE networks globally; a role model within the community; and has articles published about mental health, fertility treatment, pregnancy loss and different types of families, which has impacted PwC’s policy and benefit changes to include adoption, surrogacy, and fertility rights for staff.  

From her advocacy on equal rights, shaping parental leave policy, and speaking publicly about her fertility issues, Emma has become a prominent, visibly out leader both within PwC and externally. As a homosexual woman who wanted family and career success in an industry that – at the time she joined it – was dominated by heterosexual men, she struggled to find relevant role models. She had to forge her own path. By pursuing and achieving her goals, she became an inadvertent trailblazer and an inspiration to many others.

Emma’s unwavering support for others reflects her courage and determination to create a more inclusive workplace where role models from the LGBTQ+ community thrive.

Says Alison Badenhorst, Chief Marketing Officer at RMB, and category judge: "The RMB Africa's Fearless Thinker Award seeks to highlight people who have made a significant impact through their ground-breaking ideas and initiatives, spanning fields such as technology, entrepreneurship, social innovation and more. We are proud to showcase such a diverse, talented group of leaders who are all making strides towards socio-economic growth, gender equality and positive change in their respective fields."

Sign up to receive marketing and event updates


Required
Required

Related

Featured