Quote This Woman+ announces the successful completion of its inaugural Voices Fellowship Programme

Hilton, KwaZulu-Natal – Quote This Woman+ (QW+), a South African non-profit organisation dedicated to amplifying women’s voices in the media, today announces the successful completion of its first South Africa Voices Fellowship Programme. 

The programme, which ran from December 2024 to June 2025, took a group of dedicated women+ and LGBTQI+ activists from marginalised, rural, and low-income communities through a six-month training programme aimed at empowering the participants use their voices on media and other platforms to challenge entrenched narratives and build new taboo-breaking vocabularies. 

The programme covered a lot of ground, from personal branding to interview skills and from resilience and self-care to project planning. Participants were paired with volunteer mentors as they worked on advocacy projects aimed at making changes in their communities.

QW+ worked together with the Fellows to refine the training programme over time, moving from using an online learning platform to instead sharing ideas and work in WhatsApp groups – an accessible and innovative way for people to learn.

The programme was generously funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, which supports grassroots projects led by local civil-society organisations across a range of focus areas, from fostering inclusive governance and promoting gender equality to building climate resilience and promoting human rights. 

Key highlights of the programme included:

• Fellows gained practical skills in engaging with traditional and online media, crafting advocacy campaigns, and building leadership and networking abilities. Many of them were interviewed by journalists towards the end of the programme and their stories were published on a range of community platforms.
• Participants worked on a wide range of critical social issues, including disability rights, housing, LGBTQI+ awareness and activism, reading programmes for disadvantaged children and young peoples’ access to tertiary education.
• Twenty of the cohort have now been included in the QW+ database, giving journalists access to a wider range of voices from under-represented communities.

Kath Magrobi, QW+ Director, said: “We are incredibly proud of the dedication and achievements of our first cohort of Voices Fellows. These activists are now better equipped to share their vital work with a wider audience, driving positive change in their communities and beyond.”

James Christoff, High Commissioner of Canada to South Africa, added: “The High Commission of Canada to South Africa is proud to have supported the 2024/25 Voices Fellowship Programme through the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives. The practical skills the Fellows have gained will empower them to drive meaningful change in their communities. This is exactly the kind of transformation the Canada Fund is proud to support, and we look forward to the continued impact the Fellows will make both locally and beyond.” 

Participant testimonials at the end of the programme: 

“I’ve learned how to speak for marginalised communities, and also how to engage with other people, with stakeholders.” (Lebohang Rikhotso)

“My key takeaway would be the inspiration that I got from each and every woman who was part of the programme.” (Penelope Molangwane)

“I’ve gained so much confidence in being able to speak my story and remind myself why I started, and why I do it, and why my voice is important… What I’m going to take away from this programme, above all, is to lead with compassion, to lead with soft power.” (Sihle Gili)

“I knew I wanted to do something, and I would write a little bit of what I want to do as my own project, but I wasn’t winning. But when I was given a mentor and we worked it out, I was able to articulate it. The Fellowship allowed me to dream.” (Zintle Tyuku)

Links to programme participants on the QW+ database:

This list is not for publication, but we encourage media houses and journalists to contact these change-makers and activists.

Belinah Maserumule, Rostec College

Area: Pretoria

Topics of expertise: Education, Autism, Community health, Orphans and vulnerable children, Child-headed household

Cerneline Louw, De Doorns Community Advice and Development Office

Area: Western Cape

Topics of expertise: Human rights, Gender-based violence (GBV), Women and children’s rights, Farming systems, Children, Education, Farming

Joyce ‘Javas’ Ndlovu, LGBTQIA+ Voices

Area: Johannesburg

Topics of expertise: Youth empowerment, Gender, Youth, Youth and development, LGBTQIA+ rights

Kashiefa Achmat, Housing Assembly

Area: Cape Town

Topics of expertise: Housing, Social justice, Inequality, Housing rights

Kate Malope, Bring Change in Me (NPO) and Disabled People South Africa – 

Area: Gauteng

Topics of expertise: Children and people with disabilities, Disability and dating, Disability, Disability identity, Disability employment, Disability inclusion

Lebohang Rikhotso, Humana People to People in SA 

Area: Limpopo

Topics of expertise: Human rights, TB, HIV/Aids, HIV prevention, HIV treatment, Human rights

Lerato Mogashoa, Childline Gauteng

Area: Pretoria

Topics of expertise: Mental health, Youth empowerment, Gender-based violence (GBV), Teenage pregnancy, Child rights, Youth leadership, HIV and mental health

Mpololeng Edith Lebereki, an advocate for children and youth

Area: North West province

Topics of expertise: GBV, Coaching, Child development, Gender-based violence (GBV)

Nomsa Nandi Khanye, Masithobelane Support Group

Area: Mpumalanga

Topics of expertise: Environment, Literacy, Health Literacy, Environmental issues

Palesa Manasoe, youth empowerment advocate 

Area: Pretoria

Topics of expertise: Youth empowerment, Youth, Youth advocacy, Youth development

Penelope Molangwane, Teens on a Mission Foundation

Area: Gauteng

Topics of expertise: Youth empowerment, Youth, Community education and advocacy, Youth mentorship, Education

Phawulwethu Baliso, Mfuleni CDC

Area: Cape Town

Topics of expertise: Community building, Community development, Community education and advocacy, Community engagement

Phelisa Sikwata, Pivot Collective Consulting

Area: Cape Town

Topics of expertise: Mental health, Youth empowerment, LGBTIQ+, Innovation, LGBTIQ+ rights

Sihle Gili, Norina Enterprises

Area: Eastern Cape

Topics of expertise: Early childhood development (ECD), Organisational development, Women empowerment, Environmental education, Child gender-based violence (GBV), Youth leadership, Social impact, Climate resilience

Sinegugu Dube, Saka Isizwe

Area: Cape Town 

Topics of expertise: Youth empowerment, Menstrual health, Women’s health, Access to education, Menstrual education, Mental health awareness, Health, Education

Siphokazi Khonkwane, University of Cape Town 

Area: Cape Town

Topics of expertise: HIV, HIV/AIDS, HIV/AIDS research, Human research ethics

Victoria Marumo, Mzansi Queer Support

Area:  Roodepoort

Topics of expertise: Youth empowerment, Youth advocacy, Free sanitary pads, LGBTI, Youth education

Yonela Baleni, Thetha Domestic Advice Centre

Area: Eastern Cape

Topics of expertise: Advocacy, Human rights, Gender, Gender-based violence (GBV), Activism

Zimkitha Zilo, Uhlanga Books

Area: Cape Town

Topics of expertise: Education, Reading literacy, Literacy

Zintle Tyuku, Amandla.Mobi

Area: Johannesburg

Topics of expertise: Access to education, Health, Education, Socio-economic issues

Background:

The South Africa 2024/25 Voices Fellowship Programme was funded by The Canada Fund for Local Initiatives, at no cost to the participants. The programme aimed to empower the group with the confidence and skills they need to get coverage for causes they are passionate about. Participants were helped with covering the costs of data, and some were provided with tablets.

Looking ahead:

“QW+ learned a great deal from running this programme and we are committed to supporting marginalised voices and to running initiatives like this in the future,” says Magrobi.