At a widely celebrated event hosted at The Forum in Johannesburg on 17 July, Morongwe “Mo” Mokone and Refilwe Sebothoma were named winners of the 2024 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award, respectively. Now in its 52nd year, the award celebrates businesswomen worldwide who embody the fearless spirit of Madame Clicquot, owning their power and paving the way for future generations of fearless women.
First launched in 1972, in honour of the Maison’s 200th anniversary, the Bold Woman Award provides a platform for trailblazing women, entering them into a supportive global community of like-minded female powerhouses. Today, that community grows, as Mo Mokone and Refilwe Sebothoma are welcomed into the Bold network.
While the award shines a light on this year’s winners, the overall success of the Bold Platform would be nothing without the incredible women who engage with it. This year’s award symbolises how dynamic and formidable female entrepreneurship in South Africa can be, showcasing the resilience and strength of women who overcome significant adversity. The 2024 winners, as well as each of the finalists, embody what it means to be a bold woman, in keeping with the daring tenacity of Madame Clicquot.
This year’s Bold Woman Award winner is Mo Mokone, Co-Founder of Mo’s Crib, a home décor and design company specialising in practical handmade items using recycled and non-invasive materials. With African craft and sustainability at its core, Mo’s Crib manufactures and exports hand-crafted homeware for the global market, with its products now stocked in top department stores across the globe.
Mo is a self-taught artisan and designer, having learned the art of origami from her Japanese roommate when she was at university in England. She started Mo’s Crib as a side hustle with her sister in 2019. As the business has grown, she has assumed the role of creative director and head of business development. The company has partnered with international brands like Crate & Barrel and Target. Many of their products are made from recycled materials, including PVC waterpipes collected from landfills and construction sites. The company also proudly employs over 100 artisans, 87% of whom are women. “It is about things being made sustainably, and creating jobs in the community that matter,” says Mo.
Mo’s Crib, and Mo’s passionate spirit, remind us that design and craft can drive meaningful impact. “It’s people like [Mo] that this brand truly applauds,” says jury member Amanda Dambuza.
After receiving her trophy, Mo said, “Winning the Bold Woman Award is an incredible honor and a profound celebration of the challenges I have overcome. It signifies triumph over adversity and is a beacon of hope, reaffirming that I am on the right path. This recognition is a personal achievement and testament to the resilience and determination required to navigate and succeed in the entrepreneurial world.”
The 2024 Bold Future Award winner is Refilwe Sebothoma, Founder of Hakem Energies. The company provides accessible and affordable liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to marginalised communities. Hakem Energies supplies a safe energy alternative and is working to address social issues such as energy poverty, paraffin poisoning, and air pollution from dirty cooking fuels. By offering “pay-as-you-use” refills for small, portable 5kg LPG cylinders, Hakem Energies has made clean cooking accessible to more than 640 families in the past three months alone.
Refilwe is an award-winning entrepreneur, speaker and strategist, having founded 7 companies in related service areas. She credits her grandmother as a source of entrepreneurial inspiration, whose small food business relied on wood, coal, and cow dung for fuel, leading to health and safety concerns. “I’ve always seen entrepreneurship as a tool that could allow me to not just impact my own life but to impact the life of women who are like my mother and grandmother,” says Refilwe.
Safety is at the heart of Hakem Energies, with a focus on educating communities on ways to mitigate gas accidents. The company’s plans include partnering with local communities and female entrepreneurs in rural Africa to make clean, reliable energy accessible to all, with the potential to change the lives of everyday people. “[Refilwe] is a true fighter,” says jury member Timothy Maurice Webster. “Hakem Energies is fighting to sustain and save lives”.
“Winning the Bold Future Award validates our work, but for HAKEM Energies, it’s more than that—it’s a global platform to amplify and accelerate our vision of combating energy poverty and saving lives through accessible LPG for all communities,” concluded Refilwe following the ceremony.
The celebratory prize-giving event honoured La Grande Dame of Champagne in every way. With Jo-Ann Strauss as MC, and South African singer and songwriter, Lira, keeping guests inspired with her “My Stroke of Luck” speech before performing her song “Something Inside So Strong”, the night was a celebration of daring women and the power of connection.
“[Veuve Clicquot’s] commitment goes further than the Bold Woman Award. We are also bringing powerful tools to the entrepreneurial community. In 2022, we launched the Bold Open Database. Its mission is to register women entrepreneurs from around the world to give them visibility and develop their network,” says Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Veuve Clicquot Carole Bildé. The Bold Open Database offers access to a network of over 7000 businesswomen across the globe. To join a passionate and inspiring community of businesswomen making their mark, register at www.boldopendatabase.com/en.