Phakama Women’s Academy, a flagship initiative in environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance of the VWV Group, has begun accepting its twelfth annual cohort, which includes 22 young women. This intake, named Class of 2026, was officially presented at the beginning of this month at Emeris Sandton.
The participants, who joined from institutions such as Emeris, AFDA, and the University of Johannesburg, met with their mentors at an event held on the Emeris campus in Sandton. They join a community of over 200 graduates from the program, which was launched in 2014.
This launch comes against the backdrop of a challenging situation for young women seeking to enter the South African job market. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa for the first quarter of 2026, the unemployment rate among those aged 15 to 24 reached 60.9%, and among the 25–34 age group, it was 40.6%, which is higher than the national average of 32.7%. Furthermore, the burden is unevenly distributed: 39.2% of young women aged 15 to 24 are not employed, not studying, and not in training, compared to 36.0% of young men, and this gap has widened over the past year.
The Academy was created precisely to address this imbalance. Founded in 2014 by Ku Govender, the first female CEO of VWV Group, the program teaches aspects that are not covered by academic education. Although students enroll already qualified, the Academy supplements them with soft and transferable skills valued by employers, including work readiness, communication skills, self-confidence, and professional networks, which often determine securing the first opportunity.
Shale Gama, Group Managing Director of VWV Group, emphasized: 'A degree helps get an interview. What happens after that requires a completely different set of skills, and that is not what most graduates are taught. Phakama exists to close that gap. These young women are already qualified and ambitious. We add practical, transferable skills and a network that turns qualification into a career.'
Over the next few months, Class of 2026 will undergo six interactive modules. These include: 'Self-Awareness,' 'Work Readiness'—transforming self-awareness into workplace confidence; 'Finance' supported by Absa—building a financial path; 'Readiness, Stability, Work'—tools for success in the labour market; 'Sisterhood Strength'—strengthening empowering connections; 'Brand Unveiling'—shaping a unique identity; and 'Welcome to the Working World'—navigating the career path.
The second half of the program is dedicated to networking and individual mentorship with some of South Africa's most respected business ladies. These mentors voluntarily share their time and continue to support their mentees far beyond the last module, and in many cases, even after graduation.
Yiti Zulu, CEO of Yithi Media and mentor to Class of 2026, noted: 'Mentorship at Phakama is not about handing someone else's career plan. It is an opportunity to become the person I lacked at the beginning of my journey, someone who could tell me what the audience expects of me before I walked into the room.'
Twelve years of continuous programming have made its impact evident: graduates now become part of subsequent cohorts themselves. Tsenelo Mongale, a graduate in Public Relations and Communications from Phakama 2024, shared her experience at the event and urged Class of 2026 to make the most of the opportunity provided to them.
Lesego Mogoai, a final-year student in Film at AFDA, expressed a desire to learn ways to improve her skills and interact more with others. Ketive Mlambho, a final-year student in Strategic Communications at the University of Johannesburg, stated: 'I am so excited to start this journey, to be in this room with such strong women, to connect with all of them, to learn everything Phakama can offer, build relationships, and hopefully grow.'