FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit welcomes Paralympian, Kgothatso KG Montjane:
Kgothatso KG Montjane
South African Paralympian and a global inspiration, Kgothatso KG Montjane, will address attendees during her ‘In the Spotlight’ panel discussion at this year’s FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit (#LWS2019KZN), hosted by the KZN Provincial Government in association with ABSA, the IDC, Women of Africa and supported by Delta Air Lines. Her empowered talk forms part of a dynamic programme themed ‘New Wealth Creators’ which is taking place on International Women’s Day – Friday, 8 March – at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
“It is so easy for us to feel overwhelmed, finding excuses for not being able to accomplish goals and achieve objectives,” explained Methil Renuka, Managing Editor of Forbes Africa and Forbes Woman Africa and this year’s host. “When listening to incredible women such as Kgothatso KG Montjane, everything is put into perspective and we realise the only challenges we face are our own insecurities and fears. She has broken barriers through sheer strength of will, and her story will certainly have an impact on this year’s summit attendees.”
Kgothatso KG Montjane
Her journey to the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2018 is one of indelible human strength that will serve to inspire young women for years to come. Born in Polokwane, Limpopo in 1986 with a congenital birth defect, Montjane’s success has not been impeded by life in a wheelchair. At 12 years old she had a single amputation below the knee and, at 20 years old – after receiving the necessary equipment – she began her tennis career.
Working with her tennis coach, Gerald Stoffberg, at Pretoria Boys High – where she currently trains – Montjane has proven herself an international-level athlete, breaking barriers wherever she goes. She represented South Africa at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Paralympics, reaching the quarter-finals at the 2013 Australian Open and semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.
Arguably one of the country’s most successful athletes, Montjane was the first African tennis player to compete in the NEC World Singles and Doubles Masters, as well as the first African tennis player to reach her level at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She is currently ranked No.1 in Africa – a title she’s held for 11 consecutive years – has been No.1 in South Africa since 2007, and is No.6 on the ITF World Wheelchair Tennis rankings.
In the Spotlight
Montjane will give a talk during this year’s FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Leading Women Summit for ‘In the Spotlight’ – based on a 10-minute format of storytelling in an engaging, impactful slot. She will be joined by three other inspired speakers; Simidele Adeagbo, Dr Portia Gumede, and Noëlla Coursaris Musunka.
– Simidele Adeagbo
Recognised as one of the most influential young Africans in 2018 and honoured on the Okay Africa 100 Women List, Bustle’s List of Black Women History Makers and Guardian Woman 100 Most Inspiring Leading Ladies in Africa, Simidele Adeagbo has made a global impact for all the right reasons. This trailblazing Olympian made history at the 2018 Winter Games when she became the first Nigerian winter Olympian, and first African woman, to compete in Skeleton at the Winter Olympics. As a marketing executive at Nike Inc., Adeagbo worked as a creative force to drive this global brand. She is an advocate for female and youth upliftment, formulating leadership and sports’ master classes to enhance leadership skills, and she represents these causes in her role as ambassador for the Malala Fund and as a member of the inaugural class of the Obama Foundation Leaders: Africa Program.
– Dr Portia Gumede
The founder of the Dr P Aesthetic Lifestyle Centre in Hyde Park, Johannesburg, Dr Portia Gumede’s passion for dermatology led her to launch this elite aesthetic lifestyle centre which offers a selection of wellness treatments for men and women of all races. A medical doctor, Gumede went on to study Aesthetic Medicine through the American Academy of Aesthetic Medicine (AAAM), becoming the first accredited black South African trainer for the Galderma brand. She has just completed her Masters in AAAM and continues to encourage people to not only feel confident, but also comfortable in their own skin.
– Noëlla Coursaris Musunka
Named one of the BBC’s 100 most Influential and Inspirational women of 2017 and an award-recipient from the House of Mandela at the Nelson Mandela centenary celebration, Musunka is an advocate for female education and empowerment within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through her non-profit, Malaika. In addition to her philanthropy, Musunka is an international model, using her global platform as a way to promote human rights on the African continent. Her NPO consists of a school providing quality education to 314 girls; a community centre with a range of programmes for 7 000 people; and a clean water programme that provides more than 30 000 people a year with fresh water. Since 2017, she has served as ambassador for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and, in January of this year, she collaborated with fashion designer, Roksanda, and The Outnet, to launch an exclusive clothing collection with proceeds supporting Malaika.
In addition to the ‘In the Spotlight’ feature, daytime networking, one-on-one interviews and panel discussions consisting of internationally-renowned female leaders, attendees to the summit are invited to the FORBES WOMAN AFRICA Awards’ – a dinner celebrating who have made a remarkable impact in the business, sports, science, entertainment and leadership categories. The dinner will take place at Durban’s Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre.
For more information, visit www.leadingwomensummit.co.za or follow @LWSummit on various social media platforms (#LWS2019KZN).
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