Women’s leadership summit challenges women to stop measuring success by titles and income
As women’s month celebrations continue, the Elevate Her Africa Women’s Leadership Summit in Sandton challenged women to look beyond salaries and professional titles, and discover a deeper sense of identity, purpose, and destiny.
In a month when South Africa turns its attention to the achievements, struggles, and aspirations of women, a gathering at the Protea Hotel Johannesburg Balalaika Sandton offered a different way of looking at women’s empowerment.
It asked women to look beyond the titles on their business cards, the figures in their bank accounts, and the positions they hold, and to ask a much deeper question: Who am I, and what am I destined for?
That question was at the centre of the Elevate Her Africa Women’s Leadership Summit 2026, which brought together influential leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and changemakers for a day dedicated to leadership, purpose, and social impact.
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Elevate Her Africa is a Sandton-based non-profit organisation committed to empowering women and girls through leadership development, education, dignity restoration, community upliftment, and economic empowerment. Held under the theme: Pathway to the fulfilment of your destiny: discovering purpose, building legacy, and creating impact, the summit created a space for women to reflect on who they are, discover their purpose, and consider how their individual journeys can contribute to a greater legacy.
One of the speakers, Amantle Kanyuchi, a coach and transformational leadership specialist, challenged women to look beyond external measures of success and develop a deeper understanding of their identity. Kanyuchi encouraged attendees to stop allowing titles, status, relationships, and financial circumstances to define their worth. “If you don’t know who you are, you will constantly chase titles. You will constantly be chasing rooms that you don’t belong in. You’ll constantly be chasing people that are not meant to be part of your life.
“You need to understand why you do certain things, understand why you go through certain seasons, and stop questioning or doubting yourself because everything happens for a reason, and don’t forget to speak to God about whatever happens.
“I want you to understand that your identity in life is deeper than the rules that you’re holding at the moment. It’s deeper than your bank balance, it’s deeper than your income.”
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According to Elevate Her Africa founder and president Marie Joelle Kasongo the summit was an opportunity to remind women that purpose is not merely a personal destination. She described destiny as something already placed within individuals, something that must be nurtured, pursued, and shared with others.
She acknowledged that every journey will encounter opposition and stumbling blocks, but encouraged women to remain committed to the purpose they carry. “What God has destined for you is not for your benefits, but for the benefits of others. That is why Elevate Her is here today, to ensure that we are able to empower, and give dignity to women that are in need.
“We are here to ensure that everybody gets an opportunity to live the life that they’re destined for. I would also like to thank our sponsors for making this event possible.”
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