ISSUE 48/DEC2022 - Flipbook - Page 42
Africa’s Most Influential Women | EVERYDAY HEROES
Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe
SOUTH AFRICA
Founder: African Fashion International (AFI) CEO: The Motsepe Foundation
BUSINESS & CREATIVES INDUSTRY
African Fashion Advocate | Philanthropist
Dr Precious Moloi-Motsepe is a medical
practitioner turned philanthropist,
entrepreneur and one of the most recognised
faces and staunch advocates of the power
of the fashion industry as well as the
empowerment of women.
In 2007, Dr Precious (as she is fondly known
in the industry), conceptualised African
Fashion International (AFI) as a socially
conscious platform to promote and propel
pan-African designers to global platforms.
Through her leadership, AFI has become an
industry aggregator for pan-African designers,
customers and suppliers along the value chain.
She is also the founder of Gender Equality,
Wellness and Leadership (GEWAL) which
advocates for Gender Responsive Budgeting
Initiatives. She has also published a resource
guide, the Little Black Book for Women,
which provides vital information on health,
education, economic and legal empowerment
to marginalised women.
As AFI celebrated its 15th anniversary during
the Johannesburg Fashion Week in November,
Dr Precious can look back with pride at what
the platform has achieved so far.
One of note is AFI FASTRACK — a continental
platform which offers fashion design graduates
and emerging designers programmes
including mentorship in the business of
fashion and development opportunities. One
notable product of this scheme is the talented
Thebe Magugu , the winner of the 2015 AFI
Fastrack Young Designer of the Year Award.
He has gone on to become a global fashion
sensation, winning the LVMH Prize in 2019,
and most recently teaming up with fashion
42 l
New African Woman
l Dec 2022
global powerhouse DIOR, for an exclusive
capsule collection in support of fellow South
African and Oscar winner Charlize Theron’s
Africa Outreach Project. Dr Precious’ support
has also contributed to the success of other
designers such as David Tlale, Rich Mnisi,
Thula Sindi and Taibo Bacar to mention a few.
Internationally, Dr Precious collaborates with
organisations such the Milken Institute and
Harvard University to further research and
development for the African continent, for
example, the Milken-Motsepe Prize (launched
in 2021) focuses strategically on Africa by
harnessing the know-how of global innovators
to accelerate progress for the United Nations
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on
the continent.
In 1999, Dr Precious and her husband Patrice,
co-founded the Motsepe Foundation of which
she is the CEO. The Foundation’s core values
are aligned to 12 of the 17 SDGs, and under
her helm, the foundation has grown to be
one of the largest impactful philanthropic
organisations in Africa. For example, it has
awarded university bursaries to more than
2500 students studying at 27 South African
academic institutions.
The Foundation also invests in schools’
infrastructure, including classrooms, computer
labs, libraries and ablution facilities at underresourced schools in South Africa.
Dr Precious also currently serves as the
Chancellor of the University of Cape Town
(UCT) — the second black woman to occupy
that role, in the university’s history.
From where we stand, Dr Precious is an
indisputable trailblazer.
■