South African entrepreneurs Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa and Pretty Kubyane have won the 2026 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award, recognising founders who are building businesses with lasting impact across Africa.
Announced in Johannesburg, this year’s winners are tackling two of the continent’s biggest challenges.
Nkuna-Kgopa is expanding women-led sanitary pad manufacturing, while Kubyane is using AI to modernise agricultural supply chains.
Although Veuve Clicquot remains a drink of choice im high society events, the global Bold Woman Award has become a platform for recognising women who are reshaping business through innovation, leadership and community impact.
Lindiwe Nkuna-Kgopa wins Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award
Founder of Lindiwe Sanitary Pads, Nkuna-Kgopa built Africa’s first large-scale sanitary pad manufacturing facility owned and operated entirely by women.
What started in a home kitchen has grown into a 4,000m² factory in Centurion that produces around 800 SABS-compliant sanitary pads every minute.
Today, the business employs dozens of women from previously disadvantaged communities while expanding its footprint across 11 African countries through partnerships that help female entrepreneurs launch their own sanitary pad brands.
The company’s impact reaches beyond manufacturing. In 2026 alone, it supplied more than 100,000 schoolgirls with free sanitary products, helping remove barriers to education while addressing period poverty.
The judges said her achievement goes beyond building a successful manufacturing business. By creating jobs, supporting female entrepreneurs and tackling period poverty, Nkuna-Kgopa has built a business with measurable social impact.
“When everyone else suffocates us, we go to other women for oxygen,” said jury member Happy Ralinala.”Lindiwe embodies that spirit. She has transformed doubt into opportunity and, in doing so, created a business that empowers other women and expands what is possible for those who follow.”
Pretty Kubyane earns Bold Future Award for AI innovation
As co-founder and tech lead of eFama App, Pretty Kubyane is transforming African agriculture through artificial intelligence, data and digital infrastructure.
Since launching in 2023, eFama has connected more than 40,000 farmers with buyers, enabling producers to make better production decisions based on real-time market demand.
Despite early investor scepticism over her technical background, Kubyane earned more than 40 global certifications in coding, cybersecurity, cloud computing and AI while growing the platform with backing from organisations including Google, Meta and Amazon.
“You are a social entrepreneur who uses technology to solve a problem,” jury member Amanda Dambuza said during the adjudication. “I am deeply moved by how you have been able to marry your upbringing, the work ethic you gained and the business that you have built now.”
Veuve Clicquot expands its global network of women entrepreneurs
Now in its 54th year globally and fifth year in South Africa, the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award honours entrepreneurs who follow the pioneering spirit of Madame Clicquot by challenging convention and creating opportunities for others.
The initiative also extends beyond the annual awards through the Bold Open Database, a free global platform connecting women-led businesses around the world.
Female entrepreneurs can register on the Bold Open Database to join the growing international network and explore new collaboration opportunities.
Closing the ceremony, Veuve Clicquot President and CEO Thomas Mulliez reflected on the legacy the winners are building.
“More than two centuries after Madame Clicquot shaped the future of our Maison, her spirit lives on through women like Lindiwe and Pretty,” he said. “Their businesses are creating opportunity and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
