FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
London, United Kingdom | 8, July 2026
Dr Louisa Madiako Mojela, Group Executive Chairman and Co-Founder of WIPHOLD (Women Investment Portfolio Holdings), South Africa, has been honoured with the African Business Leadership Commendation Award at the 16th African Business Leadership Awards (ABLA) 2026, in recognition of her pioneering contributions to women’s economic empowerment, inclusive investment, and transformational corporate leadership across the African continent.
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Presented during the African Leadership Magazine Africa Summit at the House of Lords in London, the award celebrates Dr Mojela’s decades-long commitment to advancing women’s financial inclusion, wealth creation, and equitable ownership. As a trailblazer in African finance, she co-founded WIPHOLD in 1994, establishing it as South Africa’s first broad-based, black women-owned and managed investment firm, and later leading it to become the first women-only empowerment group listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in 1999.
Under Dr Mojela’s visionary leadership, WIPHOLD has delivered over R191 million in dividends to grassroots beneficiaries and community trusts, demonstrating a transformative model of broad-based economic empowerment. The firm’s diversified portfolio now spans critical sectors including financial services, infrastructure, and commercial agriculture, while her 2018 founding of Bophelo BioScience & Wellness in Lesotho has created new developmental opportunities in medicinal biotechnology and sustainable agriculture.
A highly decorated corporate leader, Dr Mojela has served on the boards of major South African and global entities, including Sasol Mining, Distell, Sun International, and Life Healthcare Group Holdings. Her academic credentials include a Bachelor of Commerce from the National University of Lesotho, executive education from Wharton and INSEAD, and two Honorary Doctorates of Commerce from the University of Stellenbosch and the National University of Lesotho. She has previously been honoured with the Forbes Woman Africa Lifetime Achievement Award and the African Development Bank Group’s Inaugural Leadership Award, and continues to champion inclusive finance strategies as a leading voice at global policy forums including the G20 EMPOWER Women Leadership Workstream.
The African Business Leadership Awards recognise outstanding individuals and organisations whose leadership, innovation, and commitment to excellence are shaping Africa’s economic transformation and sustainable development.
Media Contact
King Richard Igimoh,
Group Editor,
African Leadership Magazine, United Kingdom | Africa
Email: editor@africanleadership.co.uk
Website: www.africanleadershipmagazine.co.uk
