10/08/2026
Before leadership had a title, many of us had already seen it at home.
A mother stretching an income. Baking before work. Selling after hours. Managing scarce resources, reading people, solving problems and holding a family together when circumstances demanded a plan.
In her Women’s Month article, Prof Marieta du Plessis, Head of the Centre for Responsible Leadership Studies (Africa) at Stellenbosch Business School, reflects on the forms of leadership that often go unnamed and unrewarded.
She made a plan explores how generations of South African women have demonstrated resourcefulness, resilience, relational strength and entrepreneurial instinct, while carrying the additional burden of unpaid care and survival work.
Prof du Plessis argues that these capabilities belong at the centre of how we understand responsible leadership. Organisations have an opportunity to recognise the invisible work that sustains people and teams, create workplaces that reflect the realities of caregiving, and value the human qualities that enable people to lead through complexity.
The vetkoek was never just food. It was a leadership lesson delivered door to door.
Read the article: https://www.stellenboschbusiness.ac.za/news/2026-08-07-she-made-plan
09/08/2026
Leadership has always taken many forms.
It is found in boardrooms and communities, in organisations and homes, in moments of public courage and in the everyday decisions that keep people moving forward.
This Women’s Day, Stellenbosch Business School honours the women whose leadership has shaped South Africa across generations. We recognise those who lead with courage, resilience, care and purpose, often creating possibility where resources are limited and the path ahead is uncertain.
As we remember the women who marched to the Union Buildings in 1956, we also celebrate the women shaping change today, building organisations, strengthening communities, creating opportunities and opening doors for those who follow.
May we continue to recognise, support and advance women’s leadership wherever it takes shape.
Happy Women’s Day.
07/08/2026
What does it take to break barriers, create opportunities and use leadership to make a lasting impact?
Join us for a special Women’s Month edition of Leader's Angle: Empowering Impact: Women Leading Change.
Facilitated by Dr Nthabiseng Moleko, the in-person panel discussion will feature Western Cape Minister of Finance Deidré Baartman, representing the Stellenbosch University Women Alumnae Network (SWAN), and Stellenbosch Business School Advisory Board members Prof Sibusiso Moyo and Terry Volkwyn.
Together, they will explore trailblazing executive leadership, innovation and knowledge impact, and the importance of building inclusive environments in which others can thrive.
Arrive from 09:00 for snacks and an immersive art experience before the panel discussion begins at 10:00.
Date: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Time: 09:00 for 10:00
Venue: Protea and Honeybush, Stellenbosch Business School campus
RSVP by Monday, 17 August
Book now: https://www.stellenboschbusiness.ac.za/events/leaders-angle-empowering-impact-women-leading-change
03/08/2026
We congratulate Cara Bouwer, an MPhil Futures Studies student at Stellenbosch Business School, on receiving a Special Nomination in the Masters Individual category at the Association of Professional Futurists Student Awards 2026.
Her study, Hot, Dry & Moody: The Future of Agriculture in South Africa by 2040, explores alternative futures for South African agriculture and examines how climate change could reshape farming and food production.
By approaching climate change as a systemic risk, Cara’s work considers the environmental, economic, social and technological forces influencing the sector, opening important conversations about adaptation, resilience and food security.
This international recognition celebrates the academic rigour, strategic imagination and real-world relevance of her work.
Congratulations once again, Cara. We are proud to see your contribution to futures thinking recognised on a global stage.
Read Cara’s work:https://www.stellenboschbusiness.ac.za/sites/default/files/2026-08/Student%20Awards%202026_Masters%20Individual%20Special%20Nomination_Cara%20Bouwer_Stellenbosch%20University.pdf
View the 2026 award recipients: https://www.apf.org/student-awards-2026
31/07/2026
Yesterday marked the launch of the 2026 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor South Africa National Expert Survey Special Report, Bridging the Gap: Realising South Africa’s Entrepreneurial Potential.
Take a look at some highlights from yesterday’s launch.
Developed in partnership by Stellenbosch Business School, the University of Johannesburg, North West University and the Small Enterprise Development & Finance Agency (SEDFA), the report reveals a country rich in entrepreneurial ambition, but constrained by an enabling ecosystem that ranks seventh lowest globally.
South Africa recorded a National Entrepreneurship Context Index score of 3.9 out of 10, below the global average of 4.7.
The findings call for coordinated action to reduce regulatory friction, strengthen support systems, expand access to digital infrastructure and create the conditions entrepreneurs need to build sustainable, job-creating businesses.
Read the full article and explore what must change to unlock South Africa’s entrepreneurial potential: https://www.stellenboschbusiness.ac.za/news/2026-07-31-south-africas-entrepreneurship-ecosystem-trails-global-peers-despite
29/07/2026
The world awaits your impact. Join one of our Virtual Open Days sessions to engage with programme experts, learn more about your programme of interest, and make an informed decision about your academic future.
30 July to 26 August 2026 | Online
Book your session today: https://www.stellenboschbusiness.ac.za/events/virtual-open-days-30-july-19-august-2026
31/07/2026
29/07/2026