On Membership Organisations (A must-read for young and upcoming women leaders)

4 min readApr 21, 2022

“Joining a professional organisation is critical in keeping abreast of the latest knowledge and practices locally, regionally, and globally. It helps the professional to stay abreast of current issues and opportunities and will also assist in personal advancement for the member who becomes involved.”

I founded SAWIL in 2014, intending to create a community of like-minded women with shared challenges and experiences. I wanted to provide a platform where we could convene in a safe space to share our journeys as women leaders in Corporate SA.

Fats-forward to 2022, the organisation has a presence in four African regions: South, East, West and Central Africa, and the Diaspora.

How did I do it? A big part of it was the firm conviction that this was a God-given assignment.

In 2014, I quit my job three months into a promotion; the role didn’t feel authentic, and that ate away at my soul — the Company Division had this “brilliant” idea to pilot a new function designed to mould ‘black’ high-pos and prepare them for the next senior role. Despite having exceeded expectations and consistently met my scorecard deliverables in the previous position, thus being due for a promotion — my skin colour (let’s not forget age and gender) would be the primary basis of determining where they would place me next. I extensively share this conflicting chapter of my life in my upcoming book.

But wait, what are High-Pos, you may ask? High-Potential Talent — “A highly valuable contributor with a great deal of stretch capability within the organisation. Such individuals are typically promoted to higher levels beyond their current role, and a select few can be seen as leading the organisation at the senior levels” (Church & Waclawski, 2010).

Interestingly, this organisation made it known that I was amongst their top-tier Talent, and they would do whatever necessary to keep me — and that they did, shem. However, this particular role made me question many things. The leadership’s concern had nothing to do with them or me but rather the people I would have to lead. Brief stints of history where people of colour were appointed in senior leadership roles in this PARTICULAR DIVISION often resulted in a disaster because white people were not ready; 20 years post-apartheid? Not ready? How? Inter alia [my overall experience with corporate South Africa], these are some of the questions I grappled with, so I began my SAWIL journey.

You will hear more on this fulfilling journey at our Flagship Chapter Launch — Johannesburg North Sandton on 6 May.

The 1956 women walked so that we could run. This organisation’s sole purpose is to make your career journey much more bearable. I began juggling motherhood, marriage, and being a leader at age 24. Trust me; I know all too well how difficult it is to navigate these spaces. And so does the hand-picked SAWIL leadership Team, our Coaching & Training Partners and the Advisory Board (spanning over 120 years of combined experience). We have all experienced the good and the bad of navigating corporate, especially as leaders or in male-dominated sectors.

SAWIL aims to be the top leadership organisation in Africa and the Diaspora with tailored solutions to help women leaders, professionals and entrepreneurs play their critical

part in shaping the #AfricaWeWant

Become a Member — access to the SAWIL Engage Platform.

Join the Team.

Open a Chapter in your city.

Launch SAWIL in your country.