As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month, conversations around gender equity and leadership gain sharper focus. Nowhere is this more vital than in higher education, a sector that plays a pivotal role in shaping the nation’s intellectual and socio-economic trajectory. Yet, historically, women’s voices and contributions have been underrepresented in academia and university leadership structures.
Against this backdrop, the work of Higher Education Resource Services South Africa (HERS-SA) has become increasingly significant. Established in 2003 as a non-profit dedicated to advancing women’s leadership in higher education, HERS-SA continues to foster pathways for women to lead, innovate and transform institutions. Its annual Higher Education Women Leaders (HEWL) Awards, in their third year, are more than a ceremonial highlight. They have become a lens through which the progress, challenges and opportunities in women’s empowerment in academia can be critically examined.
The HEWL Awards are structured around eight categories, from STEM and Humanities to Student Development, Support Services and Lifetime Achievement. This range is important: it affirms that leadership is not only about holding executive titles, but also about advancing research, nurturing students, driving institutional change and creating inclusive spaces.
Among the 2025 nominees are women who represent this diversity of impact. From Prof. Soraya Bardian, whose groundbreaking research on Parkinson’s disease places Africa on the global scientific map, to Ms. Sive Mbangiswano, empowering students through economic transformation programmes at the Central University of Technology, each nominee embodies resilience, innovation and service.
Such recognition matters. It not only validates individual contributions but also reshapes how leadership is defined and where it is located within higher education.
Dr. Soraya Beukes, Chairperson of the HERS-SA Board, notes that the awards are not just accolades but “a symbol of progress and a catalyst for transforming the future of higher education.” This perspective is critical. Awards of this nature can often risk becoming symbolic gestures, but when positioned as catalysts, they point to deeper systemic change.
By amplifying the visibility of women leaders, the HEWL Awards challenge entrenched hierarchies and set new benchmarks for excellence. They remind us that transformation is not simply about filling quotas, it is about recognising and leveraging diverse talent to create more inclusive, innovative and future-ready universities.
The 2025 edition of the awards is supported by organisations such as Absa, Fundi, Chill Beverages, Igugu Lentokazi Wines, Cloof Wines, CPUT, Orisons, Maroza Haircare and HGTS Tours. While their role as sponsors enables the event, their involvement also signals the value of cross-sector collaboration.
For business, investing in platforms like HERS-SA is not just corporate social responsibility, it is a strategic contribution to building the next generation of leaders who will influence research, policy and innovation. For higher education, it reflects an understanding that transformation is not an isolated agenda, but one that requires alignment with broader societal and economic ecosystems.
As the nation reflects on women’s contributions during Women’s Month, initiatives like the HEWL Awards highlight the importance of sustained recognition. Recognition inspires, but it also demands accountability: institutions must continue to dismantle barriers, businesses must extend support, and society at large must shift perceptions about who leads and how leadership looks.
The stories of the 26 nominees serve as reminders that South Africa’s future depends not on a few exceptional individuals, but on an ecosystem that allows women across disciplines and roles to thrive.
HERS-SA’s work illustrates that diversity and inclusion are not add-ons, they are central to transformation. And in higher education, transformation has ripple effects that extend to industry, policy and community development.
As we celebrate these women leaders, the question is not whether they deserve recognition, they clearly do, but whether institutions and society are ready to fully embrace the future they are building.
The awards will take place at the Lagoon Beach Hotel and spa in Milnerton, Cape Town on Thursday 28 August 2025.
