Cape Town was the setting this week for a celebration of female excellence, as the Panache Women of Wonder Awards brought together some of South Africa’s most impactful women for an evening of recognition and reflection. Among those honoured were philanthropist Rachel Kolisi and world-renowned chef and television personality Siba Mtongana, both of whom received the prestigious Visionary Women of Wonder Award for their leadership and real-world impact.
How they responded
Kolisi, who has been navigating a very public personal chapter with characteristic grace, kept her acknowledgement simple and heartfelt. “I won an award,” she wrote on social media, accompanied by a series of photographs and a small, overwhelmed emoji that said everything her words did not.
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Mtongana took a broader view of the evening, reflecting on what the award represents beyond individual achievement. “True success is not what we achieve, but what we make possible for others,” she wrote, congratulating every woman recognised across business, academia, medicine, technology, media, the arts and community organisations. She closed with a Xhosa phrase — Sibulela imisebenzi yezandla Zakhe — a moment of cultural grounding in an otherwise global setting.
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A platform with reach
The Women of Wonder Awards were founded by Farzana Mayet and have grown from a local South African initiative into a global platform, with ceremonies now held in Dubai, London, Mauritius and India. The awards focus specifically on women who do not simply succeed within existing structures but actively reshape them — building industries, communities and possibilities for those who follow.
For both Kolisi and Mtongana, the recognition lands at a moment when their respective public profiles are as strong as they have ever been, and when the work behind those profiles is becoming increasingly visible.
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Featured Image: Instagram | Rachelkolisi
