23/12/2025
20 Years of Business Engage: A Journey Captured, A Future Taking Shape
As we close the chapter on two remarkable decades of Business Engage, I want to extend my deepest thanks to every member, supporter, partner and friend who has walked this journey with us.
Over the past 20 years, together we have built far more than an organisation.
We have grown a community rooted in purpose, collaboration and impact, one that continues to shape how business thinks about leadership, inclusion and long-term value.
This journey has been defined not by years alone, but by people. Your commitment, your belief, your courage to engage differently, and your willingness to build something meaningful together.
In marking this milestone, I felt it was important to pause and reflect, to capture not just what we built, but how we built it.
That reflection became The Strelitzia Way, a personal and professional account of the Business Engage journey, the lessons learned along the way, and the leadership principles that continue to guide our work. You can explore The Strelitzia Way in more detail here:
https://www.businessengage.africa/business-engage-initiatives/
It is a story shaped by resilience, relationships, and the belief that impact grows when we plant people, not just ideas.
To our members, past and present, thank you for your leadership and trust.
To our partners and supporters, thank you for walking alongside us with generosity and conviction.
And to every individual who has shared a story, joined a conversation, attended an event or challenged us to evolve, thank you for helping Business Engage remain relevant, responsive and impactful.
As we honour this 20-year milestone, we are also looking ahead with intention.
An exciting new chapter in our journey will be the launch of LeanIn Girls in January 2026.
This initiative reflects our belief that leadership is not something we add later in life. It is something we nurture early. Through LeanIn Girls, we extend our impact beyond today’s boardrooms and workplaces, and into the lives of young girls, equipping them with confidence, resilience and the belief that they belong.
As we close out this chapter, we do so with gratitude for what has been achieved, and with energy for what lies ahead.
Here’s to 20 years of Business Engage, to a journey captured through The Strelitzia Way, and to the next chapter of leading with purpose, planting people, and building legacy together.
