The Veuve Clicquot Bold Women Awards was launched back in 1972 and is imbued with the spirit of Maison’s leading lady, Madame Clicquot. The annual awards aim to celebrate female entrepreneurs who share her values of determination and fearlessness.
Last year, Claire Blanckenberg and Zama Ngcobo were announced as the 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award, respectively. Now, almost one year on here’s what they have been up to.
Claire Blanckenberg 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award Winner
Claire is the founder of Reel Gardening and has revolutionised home food cultivation. With the statistics showing that about 2,1 million (11,6%) of South African households reporting hunger in 2021, food security is an issue that requires urgent intervention which Reel Gardening has offered through an innovative embedded seed tape system.
As much as Claire continues contributing to ending hunger in a starving society, she also notes that the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award not only celebrates her as an entrepreneur but that it celebrates her as a woman. “I didn’t win the award because Reel Gardening was a great idea or I had a patent, I won the award because I’m a bold woman and I have built a mission-driven business that uplifts other women,” she explains.
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Over the past year, Claire has been growing her team and has hired an additional personnel of 12. Along with a growing team, Reel Gardening has expanded globally, with a successful launch in Singapore.
“Because of all these developments, I’m taking more time to focus on strategy,” Claire explains. “I’m working to understand the bigger picture and plot the map while not necessarily having to be the one behind the steering wheel all the time,” she laughs.
Zama Ngcobo 2023 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award Winner
Zama is the founder of WMN Attorneys Inc., a specialist boutique commercial law firm providing advice in male-dominated industries such as infrastructure, natural resources, and technology.
“I’ve always been a fan of Veuve Clicquot,” says Zama. “When a brand you’ve long admired and believed in, also believes in you, that was a full circle moment for me.”
She notes that the award reinforced her entrepreneurial drive as a woman in the industry. “As a construction lawyer, I advise in male-dominated industries, so the exposure was invaluable for me and my firm,” she adds. “But it’s also given me access to spaces where we embrace femininity within the workplace amidst the stronghold of a male-dominated industry, uniting in strength and softness as formidable female forces.”
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The mentorship that she’s received since being honoured with the award has changed her trajectory in a significant. “The judges evaluated my business, my life, and my ambitions, and what they told me was ‘you’ve proven yourself as an attorney, now it’s time to take a step back from being a lawyer, put on your businesswoman hat and look for growth opportunities to start expanding’,” she explains.
Zama now finds herself advising tech startups, as well as branching out across Africa, London, and China. “The platform Veuve Clicquot created through the awards and the Bold Open Database puts businesses like mine on the map, on a global scale, and also gives us access to each other,” Zama adds.
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Feature image: Supplied
