Powerful Conversations with Incredible Young Women

Eight powerhouse young women came together at the end of November last year to share, learn and inspire a group of Pizza Hut LeadHERship program participants at the program’s ‘Empower Her’ event.

Led by Rirhandzu Manganye, Head of Brand Marketing for Pizza Hut Turkey, Germany and South Africa, the panel of first, second and third cohort program participants shared their experience of living and learning in the program and how they’re putting their experience to use in the real world. They were joined by world champion cyclist Lucy Young, who shared her experience from the world of work and sport at the highest level.

Launched in February 2022, the LeadHERship program aims to address the high levels of youth unemployment among South African women, particularly those from marginalised communities. With nearly 70% of women aged 18-24 in South Africa not economically active, the initiative offers critical work experience, skills development and monthly stipends to improve employability.

Since its inception, 171 young women have completed the program, with 90 new ladies signing up in August 2024. Many of these ladies have secured full-time employment while others received part-time work before their 12-month placements ended. In partnership with organisations like Youth Health for Africa, Youth Content Collective, Click Learning and Youth@work, LeadHERship is equipping young women with valuable skills for careers in sectors including health, creative arts and education.

The Panelists

Despite only having started cycling a few short years ago, Lucy Young is already a world champion, having won the 2024 CAC African Continental ITT Elite Ladies title. She rode the 2024 Virgin Active Ride Jo’burg event for the LeadHERship program because of her belief that it aligns with her own values of perseverance and striving for greater opportunities. Lucy balances a career in a competitive environment with her global cycling exploits. Having completed her master’s degree in Sustainability Studies, Lucy works as a senior consultant in data analytics and risk assessments at IBIS Consulting.

Lebohang Hlahane is a 25-year-old Psychology graduate, working as a Wellness Consultant at youth@WORK, where she counsels young people. She is part of the 2024 LeadHERship cohort.

Tshegofatso Rakwena, a proud graduate of the first LeadHERship cohort, is a self-starter with relentless drive. She received seed funding from the Youth Content Collective (YCC) for her content creation business and is currently mentoring fellow graduate Basetsana Ntamu.

Maria Manyama graduated as part of the second LeadHERship cohort in 2023 and is now based at Tlama Tlama Primary School in Ekurhuleni, where she works with students under the Click Learning initiative.

Shantelle Serage is currently part of the LeadHERship program and is based at Hillside Primary School in Tshwane as a computer lab facilitator. In her role, she plays a crucial role in delivering online English literacy and numeracy programs with Click Learning.

Basetsana Ntamu is a passionate and versatile creative, making her mark as a photographer, script supervisor, offline editor and aspiring cinematographer. Her journey into the creative world was sparked by a deep desire to craft meaningful concepts that resonate with diverse communities and visually captivate audiences. She is part of the Youth Content Collective family, where she’s gaining exposure to a vibrant community of talented young creatives and producing quality work for clients.

Lungile Ramela is a 22-year-old creative dynamo from Alexandra who’s making waves in the world of photography and video as part of the YCC team. Passionate and full of energy, Lungile has seamlessly taken on the role of SME assistant while diving into gig work and honing her craft.