Zozibini Tunzi one of the 35 speakers at virtual Forbes Women Summit

This year’s Forbes Women Africa’s Leading Women Summit will go virtual and look at ways that women can explore the power of the collective in resetting Africa’s priorities after a year of Covid-19 disruption.

Since its inception in 2016, the Leading Women Summit has been a platform bringing together female leaders and trail-blazers from across Africa and the world. The summit will reflect on the most disruptive period in recent history through the collective anecdotes and shared experiences of women leaders and influencers.

Hosting this year’s summit has meant embracing the latest technology, said the organisers. So, in honour of International Women’s Day, the summit will be held as a free virtual event on March 8 and 9 and is anticipated to draw an audience of more than 2 000 people.

This year’s theme, “Africa Reloaded: The Power of The Collective”, will “through hard-hitting talks, fireside chats and insightful panel sessions”, look back on the year that changed everything, but look forward to a new path of recovery, growth and inclusivity on the continent.

Last year, the summit drew a diverse range of speakers, from business, technology, arts, politics, society, science and sports. In 2019, supermodel and businesswoman Naomi Campbell was headline speaker.

“The strongest women I have met come from Africa,” Campbell told her audience in 2019 at Durban’s International Convention Centre.

In an emotional discussion at the summit last year in Durban, International Relations and Co-operation minister Dr Naledi Pandor and her entrepreneur-daughter, Dr Aisha Pandor, who co-founded SweepSouth, revealed their secrets to success in a panel discussion titled “How To Raise A CEO”.

This year more than 35 African and international speakers will participate. These include 2019 Miss Universe Zozibini Tunzi; Folorunso Alakija, an entrepreneur and vice-chairperson of Famfa Oil from Nigeria; Sheikha Hend Faisal al-Qassimi, an entrepreneur, author and artist from Dubai; and Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth in Africa. They will look to unravel ways in which to engage the continent’s full human capital for a new world order.

Beatrice Cornacchia, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at Mastercard Middle East and Africa, said: “Gender equality is a core priority. This is why we continue our collaboration by bringing diverse perspectives, leveraging networks, and sharing insights and resources to help women navigate the current and post-pandemic world. We believe that working together to connect women is fundamental in unlocking their potential. Africa’s inclusive growth depends on it.”

To register for the summit; visit https://hopin.com/events/forbes-woman-africa-leading-women-summit