Now that we’ve entered a new month and Women’s Month has passed, the spotlight on women-focused initiatives tends to fade. For many, it’s back to business as usual, and the energy around supporting women often feels limited to just one month.
But the reality is that women continue to seek out opportunities that empower them and their businesses all year round. Without dwelling too much on the negative, we’d like to place the spotlight on one business doing work for women in business, no matter which month of the year.
GMZ Women in Business is a platform for women to network and grow their businesses. GMZ hosted its 5th annual celebration on the 30th of August, 2025.
What is GMZ Women in Business
The meaning behind GMZ Women in Business is in the name. It’s a space for women who are either entrepreneurs or would like to become entrepreneurs to network, share tools, knowledge, mentor one another and grow.
The platform was established in 2020 and aims to encourage real connection amongst women and to ensure that all members feel seen.
Membership Packages
There are three membership tiers, which are: Baobab, Acacia, and Jacaranda.
The Boabab package requires that members commit to a 12-month contract. This package gives members access to all benefits, such as having an accountability partner, access to the GMZ database and strategic partners, exclusive sessions, business development and strategy support, and much more. To be eligible for this package, you must have a registered business that has been in operation for over 3 years.
The second package is the Acacia package. To be eligible for Acacia, members must have a registered business that offers a product or service. With this membership, you can pay as you go, without a contractual obligation. The benefits include monthly presentations and member feedback, access to the GMZ database, access to strategic partners, discounts on annual events, and more.
The last package is the Jacaranda package. To join as a Jacaranda member, you’re required to be an entrepreneur. Benefits include social networking, access to strategic partners, and limited access to the GMZ database.
The 5th Annual GMZ Women in Business Celebration
The GMZ Women in Business community celebrated their 5th year in business. The founder, Zamani Nkondo, chose Evolve as this year’s theme. “Evolve is fitting to every part of life, business, leadership, womanhood, identity, and even your faith. It’s about allowing yourself to grow without guilt, to shift without apology, and to rise even after the detours”, says Nkondo.
This theme was chosen to reflect the journey that women have gone through and aims to inspire women to keep on moving forward and to continue showing up for themselves.
Highlights From the GMZ Women in Business
The event showcased the diversity of female entrepreneurs in the GMZ community. Here are some of the highlights from the women who spoke on the day:
Justice and Self-Determination
Speaker Okeleteng Mookeletsi, founder of Okeletsang Mookeletsi Attorneys, shared her journey in law, speaking about the challenges in her career that led to starting a law firm. She shared how, after her maternity leave, she found herself up against corporate politics and exclusion, but she chose not to give up.
The experience pushed her to start her own law firm, where she could change the narrative of lawyers being unapproachable. She spoke about the importance of choosing to give yourself justice as a woman when you’re in unjust settings.
Evolving as a Butterfly
The theme came alive during a moving session where MC, Khanyisa Nkuna, posed a simple but powerful question: “What have you survived?”, prompting the attendees to look back and think about their individual journeys.
Some of the speakers touched on their personal life stories and how overcoming trials and tribulations in their lives has helped them build the resilience required to run a sustainable business. One of these speakers is Tshamano Ngwenya, who took us through the various cocoon stages of her life, from poverty, loss, mistreatment, divorce, ill-health, and heartbreak, all the way to becoming a mother, a professional, and an established entrepreneur.
The Power of Letting Go
To close off the celebration, the founder of GMZ Women in Business, Nkondlo, spoke beautifully about the power of letting go. Many women walk around carrying the burden of their past, their habits, their pain, and other elements that don’t serve them well.
“Pain and evolution stories are what we need to go through in order to return to ourselves”, says Nkondlo. The event ended with a moment where the attendees lit up sparklers as a symbolic way to celebrate what everyone has overcome.
