Her Month
Her Month — IOL’s platform for the women who shape South Africa · SA women own 40% of all registered businesses — SEDA 2024 · 42% of SA households are headed by women — Stats SA 2023 · Women in SA now outpace men in university enrolment · SA women-led SMMEs grew 18% year-on-year — SEDA 2024 · Women make up 44% of the formal SA workforce — Stats SA 2024 · Six pillars — money, voice, health, career, home, style · Her Month — IOL’s platform for the women who shape South Africa · SA women own 40% of all registered businesses — SEDA 2024 · 42% of SA households are headed by women — Stats SA 2023 · Women in SA now outpace men in university enrolment · SA women-led SMMEs grew 18% year-on-year — SEDA 2024 · Women make up 44% of the formal SA workforce — Stats SA 2024 · Six pillars — money, voice, health, career, home, style ·
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Her Month. Her Strength.

Her Story. South Africa's most complete editorial platform for the women who shape this country.

0 %
of registered SA businesses owned by women
SEDA 2024
0 %
of SA households headed by women
Stats SA 2023
0 %
of SA university graduates are women
DHET 2024
0 %
of the formal SA workforce is female
Stats SA 2024
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Live from IOL.co.za

The Latest, as it lands.

The latest stories from across the Her Month pillars, as our newsroom publishes them.

From the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic: Why women are entering the world's toughest professions
News

From the Cape of Good Hope to the Arctic: Why women are entering the world's toughest professions

A South African student’s Arctic expedition and the career of Marina Starovoitova, described as the first female captain of a nuclear-powered icebreaker, highli…

Opinion · 08 Sept 2026 Read
Women behind the Western Cape’s life-changing organ transplants
Lifestyle

Women behind the Western Cape’s life-changing organ transplants

As Women’s Month draws to a close, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness highlights the doctors, nurses and transplant coordinators supporting orga…

Yaeesh Collins · 04 Sept 2026 Read
Women truck drivers honoured as safety takes centre stage
News

Women truck drivers honoured as safety takes centre stage

Women truck drivers discussed career opportunities and safety challenges at a Western Cape Mobility Department event in Cape Town, which included practical self…

Nokubonga Ndlovu · 01 Sept 2026 Read
The duality of financial abuse against women
Business

The duality of financial abuse against women

Economic abuse against women can include male partners refusing to contribute, exploiting their income and leaving them carrying household costs and debt.…

Nicola Mawson · 31 Aug 2026 Read
Stats SA data exposes South Africa’s workplace gender divide
Cape Times

Stats SA data exposes South Africa’s workplace gender divide

Women make up almost half of South Africa’s workforce, but new data shows a divide between the industries and jobs dominated by women and those where they remai…

Nicola Mawson · 31 Aug 2026 Read
SA’s workplace gender divide laid bare
Business

SA’s workplace gender divide laid bare

Women make up almost half of South Africa’s workforce, but new data shows a divide between the industries and jobs dominated by women and those where they remai…

Nicola Mawson · 31 Aug 2026 Read
Women head most agricultural households but remain underrepresented in commercial farm ownership
Business

Women head most agricultural households but remain underrepresented in commercial farm ownership

Despite heading the majority of South African agricultural households, women still struggle for equal ownership and decision-making power in the commercial farm…

Nicola Mawson · 27 Aug 2026 Read
Women in law urged to champion mentorship and access to justice
Business

Women in law urged to champion mentorship and access to justice

Female legal practitioners have called for greater mentorship, professional support and a stronger commitment to access to justice during a Women’s Month panel …

Se-Anne Rall · 27 Aug 2026 Read
SARB unveils commemorative R2 coins honouring Charlotte Maxeke and 1956 Women’s March
Business

SARB unveils commemorative R2 coins honouring Charlotte Maxeke and 1956 Women’s March

The South African Reserve Bank has launched two commemorative circulation coins celebrating milestones in the advancement of women in South Africa, including Ch…

Se-Anne Rall · 26 Aug 2026 Read
Understanding the second shift: The mental load of unpaid work for women
News

Understanding the second shift: The mental load of unpaid work for women

For many women, the working day does not end when they leave the office, close their laptop or finish their shift.…

Xolile Mtembu · 25 Aug 2026 Read
Cape Town clinics see a surge in cervical cancer screenings: What you need to know
News

Cape Town clinics see a surge in cervical cancer screenings: What you need to know

Cervical cancer screenings at City of Cape Town health facilities have nearly doubled, reflecting a growing commitment to women's health.…

Robin-Lee Francke · 25 Aug 2026 Read
Chef Shannon Smuts on how profit, not revenue, drives sustainable business growth
Lifestyle

Chef Shannon Smuts on how profit, not revenue, drives sustainable business growth

Former MasterChef SA finalist and Pure Good Food founder Shannon Smuts shares how adopting digital systems and focusing on sustainable profit rather than just r…

Yaeesh Collins · 25 Aug 2026 Read
Her Power in Numbers

SA women are building,
leading, and earning.

The data tells a story of resilience, growth, and undeniable economic power.

🏢
40%
of all registered businesses in SA are owned by women
Up from 28% in 2018 — the fastest-growing segment of the SA economy.
SEDA 2024
🏠
42%
of South African households are headed by women
Female-headed households are the majority in KZN, EC and Limpopo.
Stats SA 2023
💼
44%
of the formal South African workforce is female
Women now outnumber men in public sector and health roles nationally.
Stats SA Q4 2024
📈
18%
year-on-year growth in women-led SMMEs — the fastest growing segment
Township and peri-urban women entrepreneurs are driving this surge.
SEDA 2024
🎓
56%
of all university graduates in SA are women — consistently since 2018
Women dominate in health sciences, law, commerce, and education.
DHET 2024
📊
33%
of JSE-listed board seats are now held by women
A record high, driven by King IV governance requirements and investor pressure.
JSE Annual Report 2024
The Content Pillars

6Pillars. One place.

Money, voice, health, career, home and style — reporting and resources for South African women. Open any pillar to read the full archive.

Her Money

Financial Power

Financial and economic health: life and health cover, planning and insurance built for the way women actually live, and the practical business of working with money smartly.

Her Voice

Power & Safety

Personal safety — physical, emotional and cyber. Bullying, toxic relationships and abuse; women who came through life-threatening situations; safe spaces, advocacy and allyship; and the work of moving from surviving to thriving.

Her Health

Wellness

From workout plans to meditation and everything in between — therapy and self-care, mental wellbeing, and taking your own health as seriously as you take everyone else’s.

Her Career

Leadership

Career advice, leadership and professional ambition — navigating the corporate world, and the women holding power across business, politics, education, civil society and activism.

Her Home

Home Life

Home life in full: the feisty teenager, beautifying your space, decluttering and the spring reset, luxury trends and bougie-on-a-budget, setting personal boundaries, and hosting well.

Her Style

Fashion & Beauty

Trends in clothing, hair, skin and shoes; travel and social; and the women shaping arts, cooking and entertaining, entertainment and celebrity.