Phakama Women’s Academy Welcomes 22 New Mentees in Johannesburg

• The Phakama Women's Academy launched its 12th annual intake of 22 young women in Sandton on 7 August 2026
• The programme bridges the gap between having a degree and being ready for the workplace through mentorship and skills training
• More than 200 women have graduated from the academy since it was founded in 2014, with alumnae now returning to mentor new cohorts

Twenty-two young women from Emeris, AFDA and the University of Johannesburg have officially begun their journey through the Phakama Women's Academy (PWA), the flagship ESG initiative of the VWV Group. The Class of 2026 met their mentors at a launch event held at Emeris Campus in Sandton on 7 August 2026, joining a growing community of graduates that now numbers more than 200 since the programme began.

The timing of the intake could not be more significant. Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q1 2026 placed unemployment among 15 to 24-year-olds at 60.9%, while 39.2% of young women in that age group were not in employment, education or training, compared to 36.0% of the young men. The academy was built precisely to address this imbalance.

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Bridging the graduate gap

Founded in 2014 by Koo Govender, the first female CEO of VWV Group, PWA focuses on what a university qualification alone cannot provide: workplace confidence, communication skills, professional networks and the soft skills that employers look for when deciding who gets their first real opportunity.

"A degree gets you the interview. What happens after that is a different set of skills entirely, and it is not something most graduates are taught," said Shale Gama, Group Managing Director of VWV Group. "These young women are already qualified and already ambitious. What we add is the practical, transferable skills and the network that turns a qualification into a career."

Six modules, one powerful network

Over the coming months, the Class of 2026 will work through six interactive modules covering self-awareness, financial literacy, personal branding, workplace navigation and the power of professional relationships. Alongside the coursework, each student receives one-on-one mentorship from respected South African businesswomen who voluntarily give their time.

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"Mentoring at Phakama is not about handing someone a career plan. It is about being the person I did not have when I started," said Yithi Zulu, CEO of Yithi Media and a mentor to the Class of 2026.

Alumnae return to inspire the next generation

Twelve years on, the programme's most visible measure of impact is its alumni network. Tshenolo Mongale, a Public Relations and Communications Management graduate and 2024 Phakama alumna, shared her experience at the launch event and encouraged the new cohort to make the most of the opportunity ahead.

The mentees arrived eager. Khethiwe Mlambo, a final-year Strategic Communications student at the University of Johannesburg, said, "I'm so excited to be starting this journey, to be in this room with such powerful women, connect with them all, learn everything that Phakama has to offer, network and hopefully build myself up." The Class of 2026 will be formally recognised at the PWA Graduation Ceremony later this year.

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Source: Briefly News