The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport South Africa (CILTSA) has hailed the strong and active support shown by organisations at its 2025 Women Empowerment Conference. Centred on the theme “Fuelling Her Rise: Leadership in Motion”, the conference convened senior executives, entrepreneurs and rising professionals for a day of practical learning, candid discussion and targeted commitments.
Forging New Pathways
Programme directors Devlyn Naidoo (Executive for SARS and Other Government Agencies at the Southern African Association of Freight Forwarders) and Shevon Kotiah (Demand Manager: Sales and Commercial at Heineken Beverages) guided a programme designed to turn aspiration into action, with a focus on leadership pathways, confidence building and the skills required in an evolving operating environment.
In her keynote address, Lyn Chiweshe (MILT), Co-Founder of Parwaringira Enterprises, set the tone by addressing the leadership imperative and the importance of visibility, sponsorship and networks in progressing women’s careers.
This was followed by a compelling session from Galetlowe Semenya, Founder and Managing Director of Matriarch Professional Association (pic above), who tackled imposter syndrome and practical techniques for building confidence and claiming space in logistics, transport and supply chain.
Developing leadership pipelines
A high-impact fireside chat brought together industry leaders including Maphefo Anno-Frempong (CEO, TETA), Nomsa Mokoena (Managing Director, Faithrich Logistics), Maserati Ramokadi (Analyst, Transport and Logistics, Absa) and Garry Marshall (CEO, SA Express Parcel Association). Facilitated by Ignatia Sekonyela (Founder and CEO, Bathudi Technical Training), the discussion examined leadership pipelines, organisational accountability and the role of sector institutions in enabling women to progress into decision-making roles.
The programme also prioritised professionalisation and future-readiness in a panel discussion facilitated by CILTSA’s Executive Director, Catherine Larkin CMILT. Ingrid du Buisson (CEO, Institute for Customs and Freight Forwarding), Anno-Frempong, Ronald Mlalazi (CEO, Commerce Edge) and Olive Gumikiriza (General Manager, Harley Reed South Africa) outlined practical steps to secure professional designations and build recognised capability portfolios.
A session on digital transformation was led by Glenda Maitin (Founder, BBOpEx) with panellists Candice Gangaram (Technology Lead - Group Technology - Africa Regions: Standard Bank Group), Diana Nakedi (Head of Non-Financial Risk for Corporate Functions, Liberty Group), Deborah Patterson (Director/Snr. Business Consultant, Kaizen Institute) and Lehlohonolo Mpshe (Founder, Atarah Solutions). This session examined how accessible digital tools can improve operational performance and open new opportunities for women-led teams and businesses.
“The event was an incredible opportunity to learn from industry peers, exchange insights on AI, and engage in meaningful conversations around leadership and resilience in African supply chains,” commented Dayashnee Govender from Centurion Systems. “Some of the key takeaways for us were the importance of accelerating planning cycles, strengthening supplier collaboration, and improving last-mile reliability.
“A huge thank you to the organisers for hosting such a spectacular event, the speakers for generously sharing their expertise, and all participants for offering their honest lessons and perspectives.”
.jpg "ciltsa wisc")
Maphefo Anno-Frempong, Ingrid du Buisson, Catherine Larkin, Olive Gumikiriza & Ronald Mlalazi
Concrete commitments
ActionCoach and the Shevon K Foundation awarded business mentorship, coaching and work readiness programmes to multiple recipients. BBOpEx, led by Glenda Maitin, pledged a half-day virtual workshop to help eight unemployed youth strengthen their professional profiles and market themselves within the industry. Delegates also engaged with initiatives focused on structured mentorship, targeted coaching and business support for women-owned enterprises.
“This conference showed that our sector is not content with statements of intent,” said CILTSA President, Elvin Harris. “Companies, institutions and leaders are putting their shoulders to the wheel, offering mentorship, opening networks, investing in skills and backing women-owned businesses. Progress will come from consistent action, and we are seeing that commitment take shape across transport, logistics and supply chain.”
