Accelerating Gender Equality: Celebrating Africa’s Female Trailblazers

To honour International Women’s Day on 8 March, KFC Africa is celebrating female role models who are driving change under the theme Accelerate Action.

Progress toward closing the gender gap in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa has stalled, leaving millions of women facing systemic disadvantages. However, across the continent, female leaders, innovators, and changemakers refuse to accept stagnation. They are accelerating progress, breaking barriers, and inspiring the next generation to push forward toward gender parity.

To honour International Women's Day on 8 March, KFC Africa is celebrating female role models who are driving change under the theme Accelerate Action. This year, KFC has recognized 54 remarkable women—one for every year the company has been in Africa—who are spearheading efforts to educate, empower, and uplift women, ensuring progress is achieved together, faster.

Recognizing Africa's Changemakers

KFC Africa's Accelerate Action list follows the successful 2024 Female Firsts campaign, which highlighted 53 pioneering women who shattered ceilings in their respective fields. This year's honorees, drawn from the 22 Sub-Saharan African countries where KFC operates, include trailblazers in politics, business, technology, and social advocacy.

Among them are:

• Dior Fall Sow (Senegal): The country's first female prosecutor.
• Nelly Mutti (Zambia): The first female speaker of the Zambian Parliament.
• Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane (Lesotho): The first woman to lead Lesotho's central bank.

While these women are celebrated for being the first in their fields, the 2025 list is also dominated by young innovators redefining industries—particularly in science and technology.

Notable among them are:

• Christine Ogo (Côte d'Ivoire): A physicist inspiring thousands of young girls to pursue STEM careers.
• Rachel Sibande (Malawi): Founder of the country's first technology incubator, who has taught coding to 92,000 women and children.
• Regina Honu (Ghana): The leader of Tech Needs Girls, an initiative that has trained over 20,000 women and girls in coding.

The Gender Gap Challenge

Despite these success stories, the urgency to accelerate action remains. The World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report (2024) shows that Sub-Saharan Africa has closed just 68.4% of its gender gap, only a slight increase from 68.2% in 2023. South Africa, Africa's highest-ranked nation for gender equality, slipped from 78.7% in 2023 to 78.5% in 2024. At this rate, full global gender parity will not be achieved until 2158.

"These statistics show why accelerating action is essential," says Akhona Qengqe, General Manager of KFC Africa. "The women we celebrate are not waiting for change; they are making it happen."

Empowering Women in Business

Qengqe has made gender equality a cornerstone of her leadership at KFC. Since joining the company, she has championed initiatives such as:

• KFC Add Hope: A women-led program serving free meals to tens of thousands of children in over 3,000 South African feeding centers.
• Women on the Move: A leadership development program preparing 22 women annually for executive roles, which has increased female leadership within KFC by 14% in just two years.
• Women in Franchising Africa (WIFA): Launched in 2023, this pioneering network supports aspiring and current female franchisees with funding, education, and mentorship opportunities.

"To say I am passionate about women's inclusion in economic growth is an understatement," says Qengqe. "Our goal is to equip women with the tools to run successful franchise businesses, build strong networks, and drive sector-wide transformation."

A Call to Action

KFC Africa's Chief People Officer, Nolo Thobejane, echoes the call for collective action. "Accelerate Action means identifying and scaling what works. When we work together—sharing resources, knowledge, and opportunities—we create a more inclusive and equitable world for women."

She highlights several impactful initiatives:

• Leadership Development: Programs like Women on the Move ensure women gain the education and training they need to rise into leadership positions.
• Infrastructure & Agriculture: Designing environments that support women's needs and empowering them in sustainable farming can drive significant change.
• Sports & Community Engagement: Initiatives like KFC Mini Cricket encourage female participation in sports, fostering confidence and ambition.

"There's a lot we can do as individuals too," Thobejane adds. "We must challenge stereotypes, question biases, and celebrate women's successes. Everyone, everywhere, can accelerate action."

Celebrating Africa's Female Leaders

With the latest 54 honorees, KFC Africa has now recognized 107 exceptional women over the past two years. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," says Qengqe. "We welcome nominations of other women making a difference and accelerating action across Africa."

On this International Women's Day, KFC Africa celebrates the bold and unstoppable women shaping a brighter future for the continent. Their dedication, resilience, and vision inspire us all to push for a more equal world—together, faster.