5 March 2026
In celebration of International Women’s Day, our founder, Lynette Johnson, participated as a panelist at an event hosted by SwissCham Southern Africa in collaboration with several European bilateral chambers.
Held under the theme “Scaling Summits, Inspiring Resilience – Celebrating Women Who Rise,” the event convened women from across corporate sectors.
The keynote address was delivered by renowned mountaineer Saray Khumalo, the first Black African woman to summit Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits Challenge.
She shared powerful insights from her mountaineering journey, drawing parallels between scaling the world’s highest peaks and navigating leadership, resilience, and purpose-driven impact.
Following the keynote, speakers participated in a fireside conversation and panel discussion, responding to questions from the moderator.
Lynette Johnson shared insights drawn from her work with women at a grassroots level, highlighting stories of resilience in scaling personal summits and the ripple effect of empowering other women and youth.
Panelists shared perspectives on overcoming barriers, scaling personal and professional summits, and creating opportunities for others—resulting in a rich and thought-provoking dialogue on leadership, impact, and women inspiring others.
During the discussion, Lynette emphasised that sustainable change often begins at the grassroots level, where empowering women with skills, access to opportunities, and market access creates economic ripple effects that uplift families and entire communities.
“Platforms like these remind us that when women share their journeys, they empower others to rise.”
The conversation also highlighted the importance of knowing your why, finding your tribe, and taking that first step in faith to build resilient futures. As we continue to celebrate women who rise, the message from the event was clear: when women scale their summits, they create pathways for others to climb.