4 Mzansi Trailblazers Leave Their Legacy in Historic French Vineyards After Winning Global Award

• Four South African women entrepreneurs travelled to the Maison Veuve Clicquot in Reims, France, after winning the Bold Woman Award
• The women joined founders from across Europe, Asia and the United States at the Bold Woman Award Forum in June 2025
• The experience opened new doors for all four women, from international business partnerships to cross-border expansion opportunities

Four South African women have made their mark in one of the most storied wine regions in the world. Claire Blanckenberg, Zama Ngcobo, Morongwe "Mo" Mokone and Refilwe Sebothoma, all winners of the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award, travelled to the Maison in Reims, France, in June 2025 as part of the award's global programme. There, each woman had a vine named after her in the historic Champagne vineyards. It was a symbol that their legacy would be rooted in that vineyard for generations to come.

The Bold Woman Award was established in 1972 in honour of Madame Clicquot, a 27-year-old widow who in 1805 took over her husband's champagne business. This was at a time when women couldn't legally work or hold a bank account. She went on to build an international empire. The award now spans 27 countries and has recognised nearly 500 women globally.

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What the experience meant for each woman?

For Refilwe Sebothoma, founder of Hakem Energies and the 2024 Bold Future Award winner, seeing her name in the vineyard was overwhelming. She called her daughter straight after.

"You will always be able to come here and see your mom's name on this vine," she told her.

She described the trip as unlocking a deeper conviction that women are capable of building things that outlive them.

Mo Mokone, co-founder of Mo's Crib and 2024 Bold Woman Award winner, stood beside her vine with her sister and nieces. Walking through the chalk cellars beneath Reims took her back to her earliest days, folding origami swans by hand at markets before scaling into global manufacturing.

"It symbolised more than business success. It symbolised possibility," she said.

Zama Ngcobo, founder of WMN Attorneys Inc. and 2023 Bold Future Award winner, had visited the Maison years before as an admirer of Madame Clicquot's story. Returning as a laureate felt deeply personal. During her time in France, she explored advisory opportunities across Francophone Africa. These were conversations that later evolved into a roadshow at the Investing in African Mining Indaba.

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Claire Blanckenberg, founder of Reel Gardening and 2023 Bold Woman Award winner, said that the visit was a marker of growth. She came home with renewed energy for collaboration and hints at developments that are still unfolding.

More South Africans making history

• Briefly News reported on KwaZulu-Natal doctors who made history by removing a brain tumour without a single external cut.
• A Western Cape content creator broke down five times South African doctors and scientists changed the course of medicine worldwide.
• A 12-year-old learner from Bloemfontein set a Guinness World Record doing 47 splits in one minute.

Source: Briefly News