Johannesburg – The strides made in closing the gender gap in South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa have come to a near halt, placing numerous women at a disadvantage compared to their male counterparts.
However, female pioneers across the continent are resolute in their fight, dedicating themselves to advancing gender equality.
In recognition of International Women’s Day on 8 March and in line with the theme “Accelerate Action,” KFC Africa has compiled stories from a variety of women who are bravely working to promote equality by educating, empowering, and supporting one another to achieve more, collectively and swiftly.
KFC Africa’s collection highlights 54 women – one for each year the company has been established in Africa – building upon a successful International Women’s Day campaign in 2024 that introduced a pioneering list (https://apo-opa.co/4h5xiID) of 53 “female firsts.”
Each of these extraordinary women has surmounted educational, social, and financial challenges to achieve milestones previously unmatched by any woman in their respective countries.
The 2025 list (https://apo-opa.co/4h5xiID), which includes representatives from all 22 Sub-Saharan African nations with KFC outlets, also showcases its share of female firsts – including Dior Fall Sow, Senegal’s inaugural female prosecutor; Nelly Mutti, the first female speaker of the Zambian parliament; and Adelaide Retselisitsoe Matlanyane, the first woman to lead Lesotho’s central bank.
Notably, the list mainly features younger women breaking stereotypes, especially in the tech industry, proving that they can realize their aspirations, irrespective of age or gender.
Among these trailblazers are Christine Ogo, a physicist from Côte d’Ivoire inspiring countless schoolgirls to explore science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; Rachel Sibande, who established Malawi’s first technology incubator for budding entrepreneurs and has taught coding to 92,000 women and children; and Regina Honu, whose Tech Needs Girls initiative in Ghana has equipped over 20,000 women and girls with coding skills.
Gender gap
“This list carries a powerful message of hope in light of the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report (https://apo-opa.co/4i2QKXB) from 2024, which pointed out that progress appears to have stalled,” remarks Akhona Qengqe, General Manager of KFC Africa.
The report indicated that 68.4% of the gender gap in Sub-Saharan Africa has been closed, a slight increase from 68.2% in 2023 (https://apo-opa.co/3QEYGm5).
Though South Africa ranks first on the continent and 18th globally out of 146 countries, it saw a decline from 78.7% in 2023 to 78.5% in the subsequent year.
“According to the report, if progress continues at this pace, achieving full gender parity may take until 2158,” adds Qengqe.
“That is why it is crucial to accelerate action, especially in Africa, and why the initiatives of the women celebrated in the KFC list deserve recognition and support.”
Throughout her seven years at KFC – encompassing roles such as director of Africa franchise development, director of transformation and diversity, and chief people officer prior to becoming general manager in April 2023 – Qengqe has prioritized empowering women.
Her initiatives include spearheading KFC Add Hope, a woman-led program providing free meals to tens of thousands of children at over 3,000 feeding centers in South Africa.
In 2021, she launched the Women on the Move leadership development program, designed to prepare 22 women at KFC each year for future leadership positions, thereby fostering a strong talent pipeline. Consequently, the percentage of female leaders in the company increased by 14% in just two years.
Transforming franchising
Last November, she expanded her efforts to the wider quick service restaurant industry by launching Women in Franchising Africa (Wifa), the continent’s first network for current and aspiring female franchisees and franchisors.
“To say I am committed to enhancing women’s inclusion in our economies would be an understatement; it is truly one of my life’s missions,” she states.
“My partners in Wifa are dedicated to transforming women’s roles in the franchising sector across African economies.
“We aim to educate women on successfully running franchise businesses, create networking opportunities among like-minded women, transform the industry by facilitating access to funding for women, and establish mentorship opportunities throughout the network.”
KFC Africa’s Chief People Officer, Nolo Thobejane, emphasizes that “Accelerate Action” serves as a call to identify practices that effectively benefit women’s advancement and replicate them.
“This is a collaborative journey where we learn from each other.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of forming alliances and partnerships to magnify our impact.
“By working together, organizations and individuals can pool resources, knowledge, and support to foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for women.”
Thobejane adds: “At KFC, we have implemented several successful programs – like the Women on the Move Leadership initiative – to ensure a continuous pipeline of leaders equipped with quality education and training, through initiatives like our Streetwise Academy, while also providing career guidance toward leadership roles.”
“Other effective initiatives organizations can adopt include designing infrastructure that caters to the needs of women and girls, engaging them in sustainable agriculture, and boosting their participation in sports, similar to our KFC Mini Cricket program.”
“Individuals also have a crucial role to play – we can challenge stereotypes, confront discrimination, question biases, and celebrate women’s achievements. Everyone, everywhere can heed the call to Accelerate Action.”
Qengqe notes that the latest list of 54 women now totals 107 inspirational African women that KFC has recognized and celebrated over the past two years.
“We acknowledge that this is just the beginning of an amazing journey, and we welcome nominations for other women making progress in Accelerating Action in Africa.”
Explore the full list of 54 women Accelerating Action across Africa: https://apo-opa.co/4heEjqM
To nominate a woman who is making strides in Accelerating Action, please email: za-kfcafricamedia@yum.com
