Africa stands at a moment of possibility, where women's economic participation is central to the continent's renewal. Under the theme "Breaking Barriers, Building Wealth," the Women Creating Wealth (WCW) Summit - convened by the Graça Machel Trust in primary partnership with the Mastercard Foundation - brought together 350 leaders from 17 countries.
GMT Interim CEO Theo Sowa opened with a call for focus and impact: every session had to answer "So what? Now what?" Representing the anchor partner, Marieme Esther Dassanou, Gender Director at the Mastercard Foundation, highlighted that closing gender gaps could add USD 230 billion to Africa's GDP by 2030 - a starting point rather than the ceiling.
Programme Director Shiphra Chisha reflected on WCW's expanding footprint and the barriers women continue to face. To date, WCW has supported 6,400 entrepreneurs, catalysed USD 14.5 million in financing, and created 38,300 jobs. She also reminded participants that 150 million African girls remain in child marriages and 180 million are still out of school. These realities, she noted, are why GMT's mission must continue to expand - including the goal to reach 30 million adolescent girls in 10 countries by 2035.
Leadership that grounds and guides
In her Opening Declaration, HE Mrs Graça Machel emphasised purpose, accountability, and the discipline of measuring impact: "Transformation is complex work; and complexity takes time."
Delivering the Keynote Address, Former Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka placed women at the heart of Africa's transformation. She urged participants to be fully present in economic decision-making and warned: "Africa is rich, yet its people are poor because of poor decisions." Reinforcing Ubuntu, she added: "Support the women who serve with you; that is how we grow."
A summit with soul
We witnessed a refreshingly candid conversation between two remarkable leaders, Theo Sowa, CEO of the Graça Machel Trust, and Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, as they explored what it takes to drive lasting impact across the continent. In the session "Value-Based Leadership: A Refreshingly Candid Conversation Between Two Leaders", they reminded us that leadership is never a solo journey but one rooted in courage, humility and the people who challenge, support and inspire us. "True leadership isn't about position or titles; it's about what you do, how you do it and the values you live by," Theo reflected. Reeta echoed this, noting that "growth isn't a solo act; it's the work of many people, and part of the journey is bringing others with you," while also speaking to the courage it takes to learn from mistakes and start again.
Alongside strategy, the Summit created grounding moments through poetry, music and art. Fadzai Nova called women to stand boldly in their power, while Noxolo Desire Mahlangu honoured their everyday strength - reminding participants that while today's impact may be modest, collective potential grows when leadership is rooted in humility and courage.
Five pathways to action emerged: gender-lens investment; regional market access; AfCFTA-aligned reform; digital tools and the WCW Marketplace; and intergenerational leadership and wellbeing.
A three-day gathering where women entrepreneurs mapped new paths to wealth, opportunity and shared prosperity, catch the summit highlights in our recap videos below.
DAY 1 Highlights
DAY 2 Highlights
DAY 3 Highlights
