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As Women's Month concludes, attention is increasingly drawn to the growing influence of women in the South African legal sector. Women are taking on more leadership roles, challenging long-standing obstacles, and helping to shape the future of the profession.

The rise of women reflects changes within the profession, yet issues of representation, access, leadership, and meaningful opportunities remain central. Four women working in different areas of the legal sector shared what shaped their careers, the difficulties they encountered, and how they envision the future of the profession—a future where the next generation can not only take a seat at the table but also help shape it.

Paula Fukudze, a senior partner at Fairbridges Attorneys, believes that the goal starts with people. She notes that serving South Africa through the legal profession means recognizing that the law ultimately concerns people. Despite the apparent technicality of legislation, rules, contracts, and court decisions, behind every legal issue there is usually a person, a family, a business, a livelihood, or an institution whose future may depend on the outcome of the case.

Her work in labour and employment law underscored this reality. According to her, behind every dispute is a person whose dignity, livelihood, or sense of security may be affected. Fukudze asserts that her passion is sustained by the knowledge that the law can act as both a protective mechanism and a tool for positive change.

High Court Advocate and member of the Pan-African Bar of South Africa, Advocate Bongive Humalo-Tshokwe, believes that justice begins with seeing the person behind the case. She emphasizes that behind every case number is a person, a family, a livelihood, or an institution that has entrusted itself to the justice system. A case where a widow fought for recognition of her rights after her husband's death reinforced her conviction.

Humalo-Tshokwe states: 'We do not practice 'empty law'; we help real people facing real problems at moments when the law can be one of the few things capable of protecting them.' Her experience has also taught her that women do not need to change to succeed. She says: 'I do not believe that women must become tougher versions of men to succeed in law; we must be able to be commanding while remaining authentic ourselves.'

Starting her own firm was a defining moment in Dineo Modise's career, shifting her from simply moving through the profession to realizing her ability to shape it. She shares that opening her practice made her believe in her own capabilities, judgment, and experience. This was the point where she stopped seeing herself merely as someone navigating the profession and began viewing herself as someone who could contribute to its formation.

Modise stresses: 'Women do not need to diminish themselves to take up their place. We have earned our place in the profession, and we must continue to use our voices with confidence, competence, and integrity.' Recognizing those who came before her, Modise believes that success entails responsibility. She notes that every woman who has succeeded in this profession bears the responsibility of making the path easier for the next woman.

Speaking about supporting women with women, she adds that their stories remind her that progress is rarely individual. Every successful woman in this field must make the path slightly easier for those who follow her.

Khlengive Pelope Mthethwa presents another dimension of the changing profession. Her career lies at the intersection of law, technology, management, and digital transformation. She recounts how her work introduced her to legal technologies, contract management, public sector transformation, governance, and broader policy discussions, and she began to understand that her interest in these areas did not make her a less qualified lawyer.

Mthethwa also notes that claiming her place meant refusing to wait for permission. She says that with experience, she understood: 'You cannot spend your entire career waiting for someone else to validate your presence.'

Mthethwa believes the next step is moving from simply counting the number of women in the profession to ensuring they have a significant impact on its direction. She hopes the next generation of women will inherit a profession where representation goes beyond just counting the number of women in the room. Representation should extend to leadership positions, securing significant mandates, becoming partners in justice, participating in decision-making, and influencing the profession's future with their ideas.

During a panel discussion as part of Women's Month celebrations, organized by Emeris Community Law Clinic, ProBono.Org, and the Faculty of Law at Emeris Durban North, participants discussed how women can contribute to the transformation of the legal profession and ensure access to justice for those in need.

The event gathered female practitioners who focused on topics such as mentorship, the concept of 'sisterhood,' the transformation of traditionally male legal fields, access to justice, and the role of lawyers in driving social change.

The panel was facilitated by Pearl Khumalo, a regional manager at ProBono.Org. Speakers included lawyer Cheryl Smart, Senior Advocate at the KwaZulu-Natal Society of Advocates; Amanda Zwane, Partner at Shepstone & Wylie Attorneys; lawyer Omashani Naidoo, Acting Deputy Director at the KwaZulu-Natal National Prosecuting Authority; Asiya Khan, Director of Legal Administration and Advocacy at the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development in KwaZulu-Natal; and Xoliswa Jwili, Founder and Director of Moyana Jwili Attorneys.

Asiya Khan advised law students to remain open to career choices and gain practical experience during their studies. She noted that reaching high positions requires diligence, advising them to have a passion for their work and be ready to try all opportunities.

In observance of Women's Month, Emeris Community Law Clinic, ProBono.Org, and the Faculty of Law at Emeris Durban North held an event dedicated to mentorship and how women drive social change through law. The event was open to students and faculty members of the Faculty of Law, as well as practicing lawyers.

Amanda Zwane strongly recommended that students not postpone building their careers until after university, urging them to participate in volunteering at law firms to gain practical experience. She emphasized that the legal journey begins even before entering university.

Omashani Naidoo stressed that professionalism extends beyond mere legal knowledge, insisting on the necessity of demonstrating honesty, accountability, and professionalism in one's work.

Participants also highlighted the potential of lawyers in improving access to justice, especially for women and children in resource-limited communities. Xoliswa Jwili cited the example of women marching to Union buildings in Pretoria in 1956, emphasizing the importance of supporting and opening doors for those who follow, referring to this as 'sisterhood' and 'being a sister's guardian.'

The discussion resonated with students, including first-year LLB student Aarti Chetty, who reported that it inspired her to become more active in the legal field through volunteering. Fourth-year LLB student Sphesihle Mthembu noted that the diverse career paths of the panelists demonstrated the opportunities provided by legal education. Mthembu added that her desire to help others led her to choose law, and she volunteers with ProBono.Org to help improve access to justice in disadvantaged areas.

Visionary women in the KwaZulu-Natal province are transforming the tourism industry by managing elite hotels, protecting wildlife, and organizing innovative tours, thereby redefining leadership concepts and stimulating South Africa's economic development.

Although women have long been the face of tourism—hosting guests, servicing rooms, and selling holidays—they rarely held leadership positions related to asset management, business ownership, contract negotiation, and decision-making. This is particularly relevant for KwaZulu-Natal, where tourism encompasses hospitality, conservation, aviation, transport, tour operations, events, and cultural enterprises.

Only during the winter season of 2026 were approximately 920,320 visitors registered in the province, contributing about 1.9 billion rand in tourist spending. Therefore, the more important question this Women's Month addresses is not the number of women working in tourism, but what exactly they are leading and how significantly they are beginning to influence the industry's economy.

Women Taking the Helm

Philisive Gumede, who grew up in Umlazi, became the first Black African woman to lead one of the province's most famous tourist attractions—The Oyster Box. Gumede notes that achieving this position is both a personal milestone and a symbol of progress in the industry. Furthermore, she is responsible for the staff, standards, and reputation of one of KZN's flagship luxury establishments. Her view on luxury is that while beautiful surroundings can impress visitors, it is the warmth and care created by people that makes them return. She believes: 'If you care for your employees, they will take care of your guests.'

Further north, Deborah Nayker, General Manager of ANEW Hotel Ocean Reef Zinkwazi, combines people-oriented leadership with discipline and high standards. She believes that women bring valuable qualities to senior management, including emotional intelligence, communication skills, relationship management, and strategic thinking. Nayker emphasizes: 'The opportunities are vast! They await, and women must take the initiative and constantly strive.'

It is important to note that both women look beyond their own career growth. Gumede wishes her legacy to be associated with 'transformation, empowerment, and opportunity,' while Nayker wants to be remembered as a 'mentor and leader who enabled people to become the best versions of themselves.' However, a more complex question arises: what happens after the first woman breaks through to the top?

Interim CEO of KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority, Sibusiso Gumbe, asserts that individual successes must lead to broader economic opportunities. He states that women are already demonstrating the ability to lead at all levels of the KwaZulu-Natal tourism industry, whether it is managing leading hotels, protecting natural resources, or creating their own tour operator and tourism businesses. Gumbe stresses that their duty is to ensure these successes do not remain isolated stories. It is necessary to deliberately expand access to skills, markets, business opportunities, and industry networks so that more women can occupy leadership and influential positions. For him, transformation must have a tangible economic outcome: an increase in women-owned tourism enterprises, a rise in women in managerial roles, and encouraging young women to view tourism as a field for business creation and job generation, rather than just a place to find employment.

Leadership in the Wild

To understand the scale of the tourism economy, one should move away from hotels and travel to the iMfolozi Game Reserve, where Khlengive Fortunat Nzuza works to protect part of the natural heritage upon which KZN's wildlife tourism depends. Her workplace is the wilderness. Her duties require deep immersion in the bush and, if necessary, helicopter flights, as conservation teams monitor the reserve and respond to incidents on the ground. Nzuza began her career as a field ranger in 2007, later gaining experience with the 'Big Five' in Hluhluwe, working in human-wildlife conflict management, and serving as an acting ranger. In 2023, she became the first Black female ranger in the sector in Masinde, taking responsibility during a period of intense pressure from rhino poachers. Today, she leads field rangers, assistants, and border observers, planning operations and monitoring the state of wildlife and the environment. In an environment traditionally dominated by men, she felt watched. She says: 'I realized that the best way to react was not to try to prove my rightness to people, but to focus on the quality execution of my work. I did not achieve this by accident.'

Nzuza also rejects the idea of separating conservation from tourism. She notes: 'Behind the beautiful wildlife experiences that tourists see, there is a huge amount of hard work daily to protect these natural spaces.'

From Visitors to Economic Opportunity

If Nzuza represents women protecting the tourism product, Sinethemba Zuma, director of SNN Zuma Tours, embodies women who own and sell this product, involving local communities in its economic value. Zuma built her offering around culture, authenticity, and local experiences. Then came a serious challenge: her business was tasked with organizing a tourism experience for the Wales rugby team during their visit to Durban before a match against the Springboks. She admits: 'It caused me anxiety for several days. I didn't think I could handle such a large team.'

However, she managed the task by incorporating local cuisine, visits to Umhlanga and battlefields, while collaborating with local businesses. This has significance beyond prestige. If international sporting events are to drive transformations, then visitor spending must reach local tour operators, transport companies, artisans, attractions, and communities. Zuma names barriers for women entrepreneurs as access to finance, underrepresentation, and skepticism regarding women's capabilities. Her response to those who doubt women is much shorter: 'Abafazi abadlali.'

Building Owners, Not Just Employees

Sisanda Nomusa Qube-Nisbet, director of SabiPax Travel, entered tourism almost accidentally. She shares that 'this industry chose me, not the other way around.' She joined SAA aiming to become a lawyer. When her legal career did not materialize, she created her own opportunity. SabiPax now serves public and private organizations, helping clients transition to digital and automated travel systems. Nisbet also demonstrates how targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises can help. She reports that support from the KwaZulu-Natal Tourism and Film Authority provided equipment that increased productivity, and participation in Travel Indaba allowed SabiPax to establish international industry connections and understand changing market trends. However, her philosophy extends beyond developing one company. 'At SabiPax, we nurture entrepreneurs and producers, not consumers or employees.'

Sanelise Mangxaba is a communications and media specialist whose writings highlight the people, experiences, and stories shaping KwaZulu-Natal. It should be noted that her opinions do not necessarily reflect the viewpoint of IOL.