South Africa's first Inspiring Fifty women

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The selected nominees have more than proved themselves worthy of their new titles as one of South Africa’s first Inspiring Fifty women.

“The calibre of women is amazing and the project has reached so many different fields,” according to project manager, Chantal Louw.

The finalists are showcasing a broad spectrum of skills;

• Six are academics
• Ten are in corporate
• 25 are entrepreneurs
• Two are journalists
• Six are from NGOs and
• One is a VC

Inspiring Fifty was initiated by Janneke Niessen and Joelle Frijters from the Netherlands and has since been realised in the Netherlands, Europe, France, and the Nordics.

The initiative aims to prove the philosophy that “if she can see it, she can be it.”

“We are excited about all these women who have been given the opportunity to create awareness of their roles in the technology and innovation sectors and encourage more women to join the force”, says Janneke.

Hosting the first platform for inspiring women in technology outside of Europe, the Consul General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Bonnie Horbach was elated at how far-spread the campaign reached, with finalists from Cape Town (28), Gauteng (19) and Kwa-Zulu Natal (3).

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According to Horbach, the Inspiring Fifty platform will achieve more than only educate girls.

Inspiring Fifty South Africa will be part of European platform of talented women in technology and innovation. It will show the calibre of female talent available in South Africa and change the persisting perception about Africa in Europe. There is so much talent here in Africa and now with this amazing list of women, the Inspiring Fifty South Africa, we have the results to prove it.