As the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award returned for its fourth year in Africa, Retang Phaahla and Dr Phindile Cebekhulu-Msomi were unveiled as the 2025 Bold Woman Award and Bold Future Award winners, respectively. The announcement took place at a celebratory gathering at The Forum, Hyde Park, Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday, 16 July.
Bold woman lead with courage and innovation
Now in its 53rd year globally, the Bold Woman Award by Veuve Clicquot honours visionary women who, in the spirit of Madame Clicquot, lead with courage, innovation and a commitment to empowering others.
Established in 1972 to mark the Maison’s 200th anniversary, the Bold Woman Award has since evolved into a global tribute to women across 27 countries who are reshaping the future of business. More than an accolade, it fosters a global ecosystem of empowered entrepreneurs.
Each year’s winners join an esteemed network of bold leaders, a collective of pioneering women united by shared purpose and support. Now, this dynamic collective expands once more, as Retang and Dr Phindile take their place among their bold counterparts.
2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award Winner
Retang Phaahla, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Setšong Tea Crafters
As the 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award winner, Retang Phaahla stands at the helm of Setšong Tea Crafters, where she serves as Co-founder and CEO.
A purpose-led tea brand reviving indigenous South African ingredients and honouring cultural heritage while championing sustainable enterprise, Setšong leverages the unique biodiversity of Sekhukhune, Limpopo. Originally a quantity surveyor by trade,
Retang’s passion for sustainable development led her into the agro-processing and agri-tourism sectors in 2016, leading to the creation of Setšong.
“Boldness is choosing to lead with purpose, even when the path is uncharted,” Retang says, and her work reflects exactly this. She is deeply committed to social entrepreneurship, with ventures dedicated to empowering rural communities, especially women of colour, to engage in economic activities that enhance livelihoods while preserving heritage.”
Setsong Tea Crafters
Established alongside her mother, Nondumiso Phaahla, Setšong Tea Crafters is a proudly female-founded company that harnesses traditional knowledge to create culturally significant wellness products. They also offer immersive tours that educate visitors on indigenous knowledge systems and the cultural significance of traditional teas. Setšong works hand-in-hand with rural communities in the Sekhukhune District to harvest, process, package, and distribute a diverse range of teas.
The health benefits of tea
Renowned for their rich flavours and health benefits, including calming nerves, relieving muscle tension and balancing blood pressure. These blends reflect Setšong’s deep respect for African customs, biodiversity and community empowerment at the heart of everything they do. During Retang’s 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award adjudication session, jury member Timothy Maurice Webster remarked, “I like the fact that you are telling your story and educating the world about Africa. There is something really profound about that.”
“I am unapologetic about displaying my culture,” commented Retang, “I am a custodian of my culture and heritage.”
Retang’s journey with Setšong is a powerful example of how innovation, when rooted in heritage, can uplift marginalised communities while preserving indigenous knowledge. Jury member Amanda Dambuza shared, “Retang represents everything right in the world. The audacity to put heritage at the core of a scalable, luxury, impact-driven product is admirable. Innovation runs through every fibre of this business, turning rondawels into full-scale manufacturing plants and upskilling the community, and the societal impact is huge, improving the lives of those marginalised.”
2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award Winner
Dr Phindile Cebekhulu-Msomi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hazile Group
Dr Phindile Cebekhulu-Msomi, Founder and CEO of Hazile Group, has been honoured as the 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award winner. She champions climate-smart development via hydroponic farming, water remediation and renewable energy. Founded to address South Africa’s most pressing environmental and social challenges, Hazile drives inclusive and sustainable progress through innovation.
As a multidisciplinary, Black woman-led enterprise, it operates at the intersection of agriculture, clean water and green energy, advancing Africa’s green economy through regenerative practices and technology. Its work in rural development, empowerment, and environmental innovation directly supports several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including Zero Hunger, Gender Equality, Clean Water and Sanitation, and Climate Action. “I’m a woman with a vision to transform South Africa’s food and water status,” says Dr Phindile.
Green energy, water and sustainability
A serial entrepreneur, Dr Phindile is the Founder of Acumind Consulting, a boutique advisory and human capital firm specialising in business management consulting, specialised HR services, ESG integration and organisational optimisation. She also established Basadi Bakopane, a non-profit organisation committed to empowering women and youth in underserved communities. She also serves on several boards, including the Water Institute of Southern Africa and Sisters Working in Film and Television.
Dr Phindile’s work at Hazile, Acumind and Basadi Bakopane reflects her commitment to shaping a sustainable and inclusive future, one rich with opportunity for all. “Being bold is building even when the odds are stacked against you and rising anyway, not just for yourself, but for the generation of women behind you,” says Phindile. “It is leading with courage and impact whilst restoring and igniting hope for a better future.”
A bold woman – story of courage
During Dr Phindile’s 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Future Award adjudication session, jury member Amanda rightfully noted that “Phindile is audacious not just in her ability to never let setbacks pull her down, but in how she continues to be curious about herself and the ability to effect change. She is a true role model in life and business!” Fellow jury member, Morongwe “Mo” Mokone acknowledged that Dr Phindile’s story “is one of courage. [She] kept getting up every time [she] had a setback, and that’s really commendable.”
As these two remarkable business leaders join Veuve Clicquot’s community of bold women, they follow in the pioneering footsteps of Madame Clicquot herself, journeying to the Maison in Reims and strengthening a powerful community of bold entrepreneurs.
That same pioneering spirit came to life in every detail of the celebratory ceremony. Hosted by MC Nomndeni Mdakhi, the evening honoured daring women and the power of connection. Guests were surprised with a captivating performance by trailblazing South African singer, songwriter and composer Zoë Modiga, one of the leading voices in contemporary African music, who added a soulful dimension to the evening with her signature sound and dynamic presence.
Community and connection
During an on-stage conversation, Morongwe “Mo” Mokone, last year’s Bold Woman Award winner and the Founder and Creative Director of Mo’s Crib, reflected on the doors the award has opened, from global brand exposure to meaningful business connections. As she officially handed over the baton, she spoke about her commitment to giving back to the network that continues to uplift her: “I see myself as a torchbearer for boldness,” she shared. “South Africa is one of the places where women are actively looking for community and connection, so here I am; I’m always willing to support the next bold woman.”
While the 2025 Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award in South Africa has drawn to a close, the Bold Open Data Base continues to drive impact. As the first global, open-access platform of its kind, it remains a powerful tool for discovering, connecting and empowering female entrepreneurs across the world, championing the bold spirit of women in business year-round. All businesswomen eager to join this inspiring and passionate network are invited to register at www.boldopendatabase.com/en.
About the Veuve Clicquot Bold Woman Award
In 1805, Madame Clicquot took the reins of the House after the death of her husband, at a time when women did not have the right to work or even hold a bank account. Over the years, she revolutionised the sector. To mark its 200th anniversary, Veuve Clicquot decided to pay tribute to this great, daring woman, and in 1972 created the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award (Bold Woman Award), followed by the Clémentine Award (Bold Future Award) in 2014. For more than 50 years, the House has honored and featured women who have built, taken on, or developed a business – to date, more than 450 women across 27 countries. In response to society’s evolution since 1972, starting in 2019 the award has been part of an international program: Bold by Veuve Clicquot, a series of initiatives to generate conversations around the world, designed for more impact and inclusiveness.
![women [longevity live]](https://longevitylive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/photo-of-women-walking-down-the-street-1116984-100x100.jpg)
