South African entrepreneurs Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa and Pretty Kubyane have been named the winners of the 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award, respectively, recognising their contributions to manufacturing and agricultural technology.
The awards, presented at the Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff in Johannesburg, mark the fifth edition of the programme in South Africa. Established globally in 1972, the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award celebrates women entrepreneurs who have demonstrated leadership, innovation and business growth. The initiative now spans 27 countries.
Building Africa’s First Women-Owned Sanitary Pad Manufacturing Facility
Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa, founder of Lindiwe Sanitary Pads (LSP), received the 2026 Bold Woman Award for building what is recognised as Africa’s first large-scale sanitary pad manufacturing facility owned and operated entirely by women.
What began in her home kitchen has grown into a 4,000-square-metre factory in Centurion capable of producing 800 South African Bureau of Standards (SABS)-compliant sanitary pads every minute.
The business currently employs 36 full-time staff members and an additional 93 seasonal workers, the majority of whom are women from previously disadvantaged communities.
Beyond manufacturing, LSP has expanded into 11 African countries through a partnership with Young Women of Africa, helping female entrepreneurs establish their own sanitary pad businesses. The company has also distributed more than 100,000 sanitary pads to schoolgirls during 2026.
Nkuna-Kgopa’s journey has not been without obstacles. Early attempts to secure investment were met with scepticism, with potential investors questioning her manufacturing experience. Despite these setbacks, she successfully secured funding to expand the business and has since established one of the continent’s leading women-led manufacturing operations.
Using Technology To Transform Agriculture
The 2026 Bold Future Award was presented to Pretty Kubyane, co-founder and technology lead of eFama App, an agricultural technology platform connecting farmers and buyers across South Africa.
Founded in 2023, eFama uses digital tools, artificial intelligence and data to improve agricultural supply chains by helping farmers make production decisions based on market demand.
The platform now supports more than 40,000 farmers and has attracted backing from global technology companies including Google, Meta and Amazon.
Raised in a farming family, Kubyane combined her understanding of agriculture with self-taught technical expertise to help build the platform. Although she did not have a formal engineering qualification, she pursued professional certifications in coding, cybersecurity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence while developing the business.
Today, eFama is positioning itself as a digital ecosystem designed to strengthen food production and market access across the continent.
Celebrating Women In Business
The Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award was established to honour the entrepreneurial legacy of Madame Clicquot, the French businesswoman credited with transforming the champagne house into one of the world’s leading luxury brands after taking over the business in the early 19th century.
More than five decades after its launch, the award continues to recognise women who are creating innovative businesses while contributing to broader economic and social development.
This year’s ceremony also featured reflections from 2025 Bold Woman Award recipient Retang Phaahla, founder of Setšong Tea Crafters, who spoke about using entrepreneurship to create opportunities for rural communities.
For Nkuna-Kgopa and Kubyane, the recognition extends beyond the award itself. As members of Veuve Clicquot’s international Bold Woman community, they join a global network of entrepreneurs whose businesses are shaping industries, creating employment and demonstrating the growing influence of African women in business.
