Nominations now open for Womandla Women in STEAM Awards
3 min read
The Womandla Foundation has officially opened nominations for the sixth edition of the Womandla Women in STEAM Awards, returning to Johannesburg on 29 August 2026 during South Africa’s Women’s Month.
The foundation is calling on individuals, organisations, colleagues and communities across the country to nominate the women who are quietly – and not so quietly – changing the face of innovation in South Africa.
The awards celebrate outstanding women across science, technology, engineering, arts & creative innovation, mathematics, artificial intelligence, energy and advocacy – as well as the corporate CSI teams driving measurable change behind the scenes.
Whether she is a researcher breaking ground in a laboratory, an engineer powering communities, a mathematician shaping policy, or an artist redefining what innovation looks like – her story deserves to be told.
Why recognition matters this Women’s Month
Women remain significantly underrepresented across STEM, energy, AI and the creative economy in South Africa. Structural inequality, limited role models and gender bias continue to exclude women – particularly black women – from the innovation economy.
Women’s Month, observed each August, honours the 20 000 women who marched on the Union Buildings in 1956. Hosting these awards in August is a deliberate act: to celebrate what women have achieved, while refusing to look away from what still needs to change.
“The Womandla Women in STEAM Awards is about highlighting the life-changing work women are doing in these industries, and the profound positive influence that innovation has on people, on our communities and on South Africa as a whole,” says Sam Gqomo, president at the Womandla Foundation.
Nomination categories
Individual Awards
- Science
- Technology
- Engineering & Energy
- Arts & Creative Innovation
- Mathematics
- Artificial Intelligence
- Advocacy in STEAM
- Rising Star in STEAM
Corporate CSI Awards
- Science Leadership
- Technology Innovation
- Engineering & Energy Excellence
- Arts & Creative Innovation
- Mathematics Advancement
- AI Leadership
- STEAM Advocacy
- Rising Star in Corporate STEAM
- Corporate Champion for Women in STEAM
How to nominate
Nominations are free and open to the public. You may nominate yourself, a colleague, a mentor or anyone whose work deserves national recognition.
The form takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Select a category, describe the nominee’s achievements and impact, and submit before 3 July 2026.
