A CATCH-UP WITH OUR 2024 AWARD WINNERS

We asked Lilian, Candice and Zanele how winning the 2024 Santam Women of the Future awards changed their game, and what's next.

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WOMAN OF THE FUTURE 2024

Lilian Kistan Tekwecomm

Fortune favours the brave. Be bold and unrelenting in chasing your vision.' That's the mantra Lilian Kistan lives by, and it's one that's taken her from a high-stakes business gamble to national recognition as the 2024 Santam Woman of the Future.

Back in 2018, Lilian saw potential where others saw failure. Tekwecomm, a telecommunications company teetering on the edge of closure, came with a determined team and families depending on it. For Lilian, that was reason enough to take the plunge. 'There was fire in their bellies,' she says. 'I knew we could turn things around.'

And turn it around they did. Today, Tekwecomm is far more than a telecoms provider. It's a multidisciplinary business offering services in steel fabrication and construction support, including everything from site builds to air-con maintenance. What sets them apart? A nimble structure and quick decision-making. 'We don't have layers of red tape - just great communication and a lot of drive.' That agility recently saw the company fulfil a R1 million order in just two weeks.

Winning the Santam Woman of the Future award was a deeply validating moment - not just for Lilian, but also for everyone who has walked the journey with her. 'It was such a joyful surprise,' she says of the awards night. 'The competition was fierce, so when they called my name, I was overwhelmed. I felt seen.’

Her family, ever-supportive, shared in the celebration. ‘There were many bottles of bubbly,’ she says, laughing. ‘They've always been my biggest fans.’