In celebrating the heart of Women’s Month, TEDxDistrictSix Women gave 12 inspiring female visionaries the platform to share their achievements, adversities, and the hard-earned wisdom that comes from pushing past barriers they were told were permanent.
Cape Town, South Africa (05 August 2026) – Hosted at the historic Homecoming Centre in District Six, the independently organised TEDxDistrictSix Women opened Women’s Month by bringing 12 inspiring women to a dynamic stage to share powerful stories and ideas that challenge, inspire, and provoke.
Taking the stage were South Africans already known and loved, like Zuraida Jardine, who walked away from decades in broadcasting to begin again as a mental fitness educator. Some of the inspiring women include: Zandile Ndhlovu, South Africa’s first Black female freediving instructor; Lisa Adams, a serial social impact technologist, systems leader, and trusted public voice on technology for equity and access; Alexandria Procter a South African entrepreneur, investor, and writer; Nabilah Diedericks, teaching children in the Cape Flats to swim; Liesl Smerdon, who built a haircare brand around the natural hair she spent years trying to change. Sabrina Walter of Women for Change, one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People, closed the day, and Merlize Jogiat (operations lead for Women for Change) was the wonderful host for the event.
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The event gave these South African women a platform to share their achievements, their adversity, and the hard-won wisdom that comes from pushing past barriers they were told were permanent. The goal was not celebration; it was provocation, inspiration, and connection.
Through initiating and engaging in meaningful dialogue on a number of different topics, TEDxDistrictSixWomen created a room where women leave less alone and more capable than when they walked in, and where young women hear ideas that make them believe their own dreams are achievable.
“Our theme was The Ripple Effect, the idea that a single act of bravery, a voice raised, a choice made, can send consequences far beyond where it began,” shares AI Product Manager, Tessa Verster, who was central in organising the event alongside marketing specialist Cleoné van Helsdingen.
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“We held it on the ground of District Six, which felt like exactly the right place to talk about what women carry forward. Watching the room that day, I saw exactly that happen.”
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Support SA Guide Dogs By Donning Your Shades All Day!Tessa shared that each woman had extraordinary things to say, and that their stories were the kind that deserved to travel further than one room in Cape Town.
TEDxDistrictSix Women set a tone of purpose for Women’s Month, shifting the narrative away from purely ceremonial celebrations toward meaningful dialogue and grassroots action that inspires women to reclaim their voice and step fully into their power.
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