ENTRIES OPEN FOR THE 2026 VEUVE CLICQUOT BOLD WOMAN AWARD
Marking a defining milestone in its local journey, the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award returns to South Africa for its fifth year, continuing to spotlight the visionaries who are reshaping industries and driving meaningful change. Entries for the 2026 edition of the award will open from 2nd March to 12th April. Recognised as one of the most esteemed accolades for female founders and CEOs globally, the award invites women entrepreneurs who are ready to elevate their businesses, expand their visibility and join a powerful global community to enter.
At the heart of Bold by Veuve Clicquot, the Bold Woman Award celebrates women who don’t just build successful companies but who lead with audacity and purpose, echoing the pioneering spirit of Madame Clicquot herself. Since its inception in 1972, the Award has honoured women who challenge convention, amplify new ways of doing business and create impact that extends far beyond their own enterprises. To date, almost 500 women across 27 countries have been honoured, forming a global network of bold female leaders whose stories inspire courage and progress.
Veuve Clicquot’s commitment to women in business is deeply woven into its history. In 1805, Madame Clicquot took over the Maison following her husband’s death, at a time when women were neither permitted to work nor hold bank accounts. Rather than accept the limitations of her era, she transformed the champagne industry, pioneering the riddling table, creating the first recorded vintage champagne, and developing the first blended rosé champagne. Her ambition was boldly global. “I wish my brand to rank first in New York, like in Saint Petersburg,” she said in 1831. And today, her story remains a powerful blueprint for modern entrepreneurs who dare to lead on their own terms.
More than 50 years on from its inception, the Bold Woman Award is the longest-running international accolade of its kind. More than just a title, it’s a platform for visibility and connection, supported by networking initiatives such as the Bold Open Data Base. The Bold Woman Award recognises established leaders who have built successful businesses, while the Bold Future Award spotlights rising entrepreneurs with the potential to shape the future. Together, these categories reflect Veuve Clicquot’s commitment to supporting women at different stages of their entrepreneurial journeys, while ongoing global research and barometer studies continue to highlight the realities faced by women in business.
Over the past five years, South Africa’s Bold Woman Award winners across both categories have showcased the remarkable depth and diversity of female entrepreneurship in the country. In 2022, Gugu Sithole, Founder of Glamping Adventures, was honoured with the Bold Woman Award for reimagining luxury travel through innovative mobile safari camps, while Captain Londy Ngcobo, Founder of Womaritime Experts, Global Maritime Youth and Africa’s first female dredge master, received the Bold Future Award for her pioneering leadership in the maritime sector. The following year, Claire Blanckenberg of Reel Gardening took home the Bold Woman Award for her game-changing seed tape innovation that transformed home food cultivation, alongside Zama Ngcobo, Founder of WMN Attorneys Inc., who was recognised with the Bold Future Award for championing the advancement of young black female legal practitioners.
This legacy continued in 2024, with Morongwe “Mo” Mokone, Co-founder of Mo’s Crib, awarded the Bold Woman Award for building a globally recognised home décor brand rooted in African craft and sustainability. Refilwe Sebothoma, Founder of Hakem Energies, received the Bold Future Award for her work expanding access to clean cooking solutions in underserved communities. Most recently, in 2025, Retang Phaahla, Co-founder and CEO of Setšong Tea Crafters, was honoured with the Bold Woman Award for reviving indigenous knowledge through a purpose-led tea brand, while Dr Phindile Cebekhulu-Msomi, Founder and CEO of Hazile Group, was recognised with the Bold Future Award for advancing climate-smart development across agriculture, water and energy.
Now, as the award marks its fifth year in South Africa, local businesswomen are invited to step forward and join this growing community and legacy that continues to open doors and change the conversation around female leadership. Entries open on 2nd March and close on 12th April 2026, with the award ceremony taking place on 15th July 2026 in Johannesburg.
How to Enter:
To enter the Bold Woman Award, candidates must be founders or CEOs of a company for more than five years, have demonstrated transformation and evolution in their field, and supported growth for at least two years while maintaining an ethical approach to business.
To qualify for the Bold Future Award, candidates must be the founders or CEOs of a company that has been in existence for less than five years. In that time, the candidate must have made a significant contribution to the success of their company by instilling a sense of entrepreneurship and have made a tangible contribution to transformation in an existing market, while bringing ethical change to the company.
An expert jury will select three finalists in each category. These finalists will be invited to the Bold Woman Award ceremony on 15th July 2026. At the ceremony, the jury will laud one laureate in each category. Beyond the ceremony, the winners will travel to Reims, France, for an immersion in the history, tradition and luxury of Maison Veuve Clicquot, while gaining access to mentorship, global visibility and a powerful international network of like-minded entrepreneurial women.
Entries open on 2nd March and close on 12th April 2026. Business leaders and role models who are ready to be recognised for their remarkable success are invited to enter the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award by completing a simple form via https://www.boldopendatabase.com/en/bold-woman-award
Applicants must be official residents of South Africa, and the business must be based in or operating in South Africa. The finalists will be selected by an independent panel of judges.
