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EZEKIEL PHALANA
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Africa’s future economic prosperity will depend on its ability to unlock the full potential of women, Simone Cooper told delegates at the Top Women’s Conference, calling for stronger systems, greater access to opportunity and a decisive shift from celebrating exceptional women to creating environments in which millions can thrive.
Delivering the opening address at the conference, Cooper said Africa is at a defining moment, with the continent’s young population representing one of its greatest opportunities for growth. By 2030, 40% of the world’s young people are expected to be African, creating significant potential through talent, innovation and entrepreneurship.
She highlighted research commissioned by the Mastercard Foundation which estimates that increasing the economic participation of young women could unlock up to US$287 billion in additional GDP and create 23 million jobs across Africa by 2030.
“Investing in women is not simply a matter of inclusion,” Cooper argued, positioning women’s economic participation as a strategic imperative for Africa’s future competitiveness, innovation and sustainable prosperity.
From exceptional women to exceptional systems
Cooper acknowledged the achievements of women across Africa who have overcome barriers, built businesses, transformed industries and created opportunities for others. However, she challenged stakeholders to consider why extraordinary resilience is still so often required for women to succeed.
She called for a fundamental shift towards systems in which access to finance, education, technology, markets and leadership opportunities becomes the norm rather than the exception.
“The next chapter of Africa’s growth must be different,” she said, stressing that the ambition should extend beyond producing a small number of exceptional women to building systems capable of enabling millions of women to succeed.
Building pathways from possibility to opportunity
Cooper emphasised that the leaders, innovators and business owners who will shape Africa’s future are already present in classrooms, businesses and boardrooms across the continent.
She said amplification must begin long before women reach senior leadership positions – beginning when possibility becomes visible and when talented young people are given meaningful opportunities to develop and flourish.
Women must help shape the AI economy
Technology and artificial intelligence were also central to Cooper’s address, as she warned that the rapid transformation of industries and jobs presents both an opportunity and a responsibility.
She challenged stakeholders to ensure that technology does not deepen existing inequalities, but instead becomes a tool for expanding access to education, markets, finance and economic opportunity.
Cooper stressed that women must not merely participate in the AI economy. They must be involved in building, designing, leading and governing it, ensuring that the people shaping technology reflect the diversity of those it serves.
The power of sponsorship and community
Reflecting on her own career journey, Cooper shared how the support of people who believed in her, challenged her and opened doors played a significant role in helping her navigate moments of uncertainty and opportunity.
She said some of the most important moments in her career came when others advocated for her, created opportunities for her development or recognised her potential before she fully recognised it herself.
This experience, she said, reinforced the importance of community and collective support.
Cooper called for a shift from mentorship to sponsorship, explaining that while mentors provide advice and wisdom, sponsors use their influence to create opportunities, advocate for others, connect people to networks and open pathways that may otherwise remain inaccessible.
“If we are serious about amplifying women-led growth, we need more individuals willing to use their influence to accelerate the success of others,” she said.
A call to build bridges, not barriers
Concluding her address, Cooper called on delegates to leave the conference with a shared commitment to strengthen pathways from education to business and boardroom opportunities, ensure technology expands rather than restricts access, embrace sponsorship and replace barriers with bridges.
She also urged a move from representation to meaningful influence.
Under the conference theme, “Her Power. Africa’s Future. Amplifying Women-Led Growth,” Cooper framed the conversation as more than a celebration of women’s achievements – describing it as a call to action to create the conditions in which more women can realise and amplify their potential.
“The future of Africa will not be determined by what women are capable of achieving,” she said, emphasising that women’s capability is already evident across the continent. Instead, Africa’s future will depend on the collective ability to create opportunities, build effective systems and remove barriers that prevent women from reaching their full potential.
The message from the Top Women’s Conference was clear: Africa’s growth opportunity is already here, and empowering women to shape it will require not only exceptional individuals, but exceptional systems, supportive communities and purposeful action.