Become part of a vibrant, passionate community of businesswomen

The Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa (BWA) is the largest and most prominent association of business and professional women in South Africa focussed on the empowerment, inspiration and development of women and youth who are active participants in the economy. We have branches around the country with its head office in Johannesburg. 

We are a non-profit organisation started ALMOST 40 years ago by women in business who recognised the plight of women and the importance of women leaders advocating for the rights of women.  It was conceived as a platform to develop and support young women to navigate life after school, women in the informal sector, women starting their careers and women in leadership and to accelerate the participation of women in business.

The mandate of the BWA is to empower and inspire women by promoting opportunities to support, connect and grow their businesses and careers.

The BWA provides a valuable platform for the inspiration and empowerment of women in business through a variety of initiatives and opportunities for personal growth and development.  Apart from creating networking opportunities for its members, it makes a strong contribution towards developing the next generation of women business leaders.  It plays a key role in highlighting the current status of women in leadership and acts as a lobby group that advocates on women’s business issues in an effort to transform the economy.

BWA History

Tracing its origins back to the Executive Women’s Club in 1979, the BWA in its current form was launched in 2000 through the amalgamation of the Executive Women’s Club, the National Association of Women Business Owners and the Professional Women’s Leadership Development Organisation to become the largest and most prominent association of business and professional women in the country.

Our vision

To be the platform for the inspiration and empowerment of women.

Our mission

We promote opportunities to support, connect and grow women in business.

Our value proposition

The BWA provides a valuable platform for the capacity building of women in business through a variety of initiatives and opportunities for growth and development which include:

  • Creating conversations that examine structures and methods of doing business locally, regionally and internationally
  • A networking platform for its members to create business opportunities
  • Offering excellent training and mentorship opportunities to improve business performance
  • Facilitating research on experiences of women in leadership, women in the market place and workplace
  • Encourage forums where members can exchange ideas and become informed about topical issues
  • Provide and co-ordinate platforms for women to have access to funding