Women-power rising

CEOS: FIRSTRAND GROUP'S MARY VILAKAZI, BIDVEST'S MPUMI MADISA >>→ Two are on Forbes' World's Most Powerful Females list.

- Tshehla Cornelius Koteli

POLE POSITION. Mary Vilakazi, CEO of FirstRand Group, is the only woman to lead one of the country's big five banks.

(Gallo Images)

Power no longer looks the way it used to. From boardrooms and central banks to geopolitics and global business, women are increasingly occupying positions that were once the near-exclusive preserve of men.

Forbes' World's 100 Most Powerful Women list captures this shift, spotlighting the women reshaping influence, leadership and decision-making at the highest levels.

The 2025 list includes two South African CEOs, making them the most powerful women in the country. The top five most powerful women in the world all hold positions in politics and policymaking institutions.

Forbes evaluates candidates by measuring economic power, scope of influence, institutional leadership and scale of impact.

The recently released list shows that Mary Vilakazi, CEO of FirstRand Group, is the 74th most powerful woman, making her the most powerful woman in SA.