SA Honours Hindu Women Leaders at African Women's Day Event

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Monday, 10 August 2026

A South African non-profit celebrated National Women’s Day by recognizing influential Hindu women leaders at a special awards ceremony, followed by a fashion show showcasing traditional attire from different Indian states.

The Mathaji Foundation organized the Hindu Women of the Year Awards at the BAPS Swaminarayan temple in Johannesburg. Led by Swamini Mathaji Dr Kali Samrakshini, the event brought together representatives from 42 organizations and more than 1,000 attendees. The program opened with cultural performances before moving to the awards ceremony.

South Africa’s National Women’s Day is celebrated annually on August 9, commemorating the 1956 march by about 20,000 women to the Union Buildings in Pretoria against the apartheid government’s oppressive pass laws.

The event honored Hindu women who have built temples, provided free funeral and wedding services, promoted yoga and wellness, and launched community television broadcasts. Pandita Lucy Sigaban and television producer and presenter Yashika Singh received the award in the Sanatana Dharma category.

Key Highlights

• Hindu women leaders were honored for their contributions to various fields in South Africa
• More than 1,000 people from 42 organizations attended the National Women’s Day celebration
• A fashion show showcased India’s rich cultural heritage through traditional attire from different states

Yoga expert Maya Bhatt won the Health and Wellness award, while Anusha Pillay and Shirley Naran received Arts and Culture honors. Yogini Pillay and Rogini Naidoo won the awards in the Business and Education categories, respectively.

Jeannie Naggar was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award for her efforts in supporting temples in areas where the Hindu community was denied residence during the apartheid era.

Keynote speaker Jolene Raison, a white South African children’s author and linguistics academic, described her transition to Hinduism not as a rigid conversion but as a natural ”coming home” to her original spiritual identity.

”In South Africa, we really can’t separate ourselves from what has happened in the past, and I was nervous about that, but I realized that Dharma has no borders and just disintegrates the sense of ’otherness’ that I thought I would feel, but I never felt,” she said, adding that the Indian Hindu community had always been welcoming whenever she visited temples.

Following the awards, a fashion show titled ’From Kashmir to Kanyakumari’, coordinated by Rashmi Haribhat, founder of the Women Empowerment League, showcased traditional attire from different parts of India.

”I feel sometimes, distance actually makes you love India even more. That emotion really was the heart behind our Traditional Fashion Show on Women’s Day,” Haribhat said.

The celebrations highlighted the diverse contributions of Hindu women to South African society while also creating a platform to recognize their leadership, cultural work and community service. The event brought together women from different fields and generations, showcasing how their efforts continue to strengthen communities and preserve cultural traditions.

The combination of awards and the traditional fashion show also underlined the importance of celebrating women’s achievements alongside cultural heritage. By recognizing their contributions and stories, the event encouraged more women to take leadership roles and inspire future generations to make a difference in their communities.