Sun International’s women rise strong

Women empowerment is central to the global development agenda. In South Africa, despite representing the majority of the population, women are less likely to be employed and participate in the labour market than their male counterparts. And while trailblazers in the corporate world continue to smash through the glass ceiling, many obstacles remain to achieving true gender parity.

In view of these issues, Sun International held a Women’s Month forum at its Sandton headquarters on 2 August, a day when the women’s national football team Banyana Banyana reaffirmed the strength of South African womanhood in advancing to knockout rounds of the Fifa Women’s World Cup for the first time.  

Restricted to the JSE-listed firm’s female central office employees and titled “Rising Strong: Resilience and Reinvention”, the event featured panel discussions with members of the group’s human resources and finance teams.

Remove your “make-up”

The discussions were overseen by MC and Publicis Group CEO Koo Govender, a pioneer of gender transformation in corporate South Africa. The vivacious executive urged the audience to remove their “make-up” and embrace being vulnerable in an authentic environment of learning and support. The former M-Net and Dentsu decision-maker began by enthralling all before her with her experiences as a woman in the boardroom. These included anecdotes about standing up to corporate bullies, motherhood, dealing with the passing of her husband, and celebrating femininity.

The audience responded to the thoughtful debate about issues such as achieving a harmonious work-life balance, the need for confidentiality and “sisterhoods of support”, and vulnerable leadership with enthusiasm in the packed Nosh cafeteria. A recurring theme was one of gratitude for the community of female colleagues, which one panel member referred to as a “pool of greatness”. Other topics on the table included the significance of goal-setting and networking – “Your network is your net worth” quipped HR Manager Bianca Lemessa – continuous development, and the courage to bounce back from failure and avoid imposter syndrome.

Trainee Company Secretary Tabazi Ntsaluba was impressed by the intriguing questions posed and quality of speakers at the event.

“The questions weren’t superficial and had me debating with myself. My takeaway word is ‘becoming’ – listening to women in different life stages and from various backgrounds, I gathered that we as women are always evolving. Hold yourself accountable, do your best, and the sky is the limit!” she said.

Three Sun International executives were honoured at the event for their efforts in the boardroom: HR Director Verna Robson, who was on her department’s panel, CMO Helen Stewart, and Finance Director Botlhale Maditse. The firm is continuing to drive the recruitment and promotion of women into management positions, while also increasing the uptake of black women-owned businesses into its supply chain to 30% as per the requirements of its sustainability-linked debt refinancing deal.

Valuable lessons

Robson said that the “wonderful event” was filled with lessons and insight that attendees could apply to their personal and professional lives.

“The fact that this event was so well-attended is evidence of the supportive environment we have at Sun International. I try to inspire my female colleagues to achieve their goals by communicating regularly with them without being forceful. As women, we all have a different journey and events like these cover many different issues. Women empowerment remains a crucial component of our transformation strategy,” she explained.

Female learners from Tembisa High School, along with graduates in Sun International’s ever-expanding learnership programme, were also on hand to provide a fresh, youth-infused perspective on proceedings and gain insight into the travails of the working world. Their input included advising their experienced peers not to get caught up in legacy systems and explore more efficient processes. Sun International has sponsored the East Rand school since 2017 as part of its landmark Adopt-a-School socio-economic development programme, which sees learners from 60 schools across the country receive instruction on various sustainability elements.

The proceedings concluded with an agreement among the women that they would support their colleagues on their career journeys and engage in both formal and casual discussions about their challenges. It’s a heartening approach as Sun International prepares to enter a new era of success fuelled by female power.