By Dr. Wongiwe Ludidi, Senior Manager – Talent, Learning and Culture, CHEP Sub-Saharan Africa.
In a sector where women remain underrepresented, intentional mentorship, sponsorship and community action are accelerating equity and strengthening the supply chain.
Long before senior titles or boardroom seats, many women encounter a quiet but defining turning point. It arrives in the shape of a person: a mentor who broadens perspective or a sponsor who opens a door that might otherwise stay shut. Those moments of guidance and advocacy often change the trajectory of a career.
The challenges facing women in Africa in business leadership and entrepreneurship is significant. Unconscious bias, the gender pay and funding gaps, and limited representation at senior levels continue to hinder progress.
However, structured and gender-tailored mentorship and sponsorship are playing an increasingly critical role in shifting the needle towards meaningful women empowerment and support. And addressing the challenges head on.
It’s one thing to ascend the corporate ladder, but another to inspire growth within individuals and ultimately, within teams.
This International Women’s Day themed Give to Gain, we are reminded of the importance of cultivating collaborative mindsets that encourage generosity and mentorship is a strong conduit of this.
When thoughtfully designed, these interventions do more than provide advice. Mentorship builds confidence, capability and strategic insight. Sponsorship goes further; it provides advocacy, visibility and access to opportunities that may otherwise remain out of reach. Together, they shift the needle from symbolic inclusion to meaningful empowerment.
Sustainable Transformation
The year-on-year increase in the representation of women at CHEP, a leading global supply chain solutions provider, is tangible proof of this commitment in action. Today, women make up 46% of senior management at CHEP South Africa and 17% of women occupy roles in service centres across the country, a result of deliberate, sustained effort rather than incremental change.
These results have been driven by intentional interventions, including focused hiring practices, strengthened retention frameworks and targeted engagement strategies designed specifically to support and advance women across the organisation.
Through its Women of Impact Employee Resource Group (ERG) for example, CHEP has further embedded mentorship and sponsorship into its leadership culture. The ERG is creating spaces for connection, confidence‑building and peer support by laying the foundation for more structured development and future mentoring opportunities that will give women the visibility and advocacy they need to advance.
Women of Impact also drives critical education and awareness on women’s health and wellbeing, creating safe spaces to talk about women’s health, mental resilience and confidence in the workplace. Beyond the organisation, the ERG amplifies its impact by supporting underprivileged women and children in under‑resourced communities, delivering dignity kits, partnering with NGOs and helping fight period poverty so girls can stay in school.
By championing empowerment, building community and opening doors for women at every level, CHEP ensures that progress is intentional and inclusive.
Minding the Gap
Significant differences in how men and women perceive workplace equity continue to exist. A recent survey by leading supply chain industry body SAPICS highlights this disconnect: 45% of women in the South African logistics, transport and supply chain sector believe their male colleagues earn more for the same work, while 63% of men believe pay is equal. Furthermore, 89% of men believe advancement opportunities are the same for everyone, compared to just 57% of women.
Over the last year, CHEP launched new global pay guidelines, providing a clear framework for pay decisions across the entire employee lifecycle and demonstrating its drive towards pay transparency. In parallel, the company has strengthened its focus on enhanced training, data-driven analysis and practical resources for people leaders. This ensures that they are equipped to lead more transparent, equitable and meaningful reward conversations at every stage of the employee journey.
Environments to Thrive
In industries such as supply chain and logistics, where women have historically been underrepresented, deliberate progress is being made, in creating environments where women are not only welcomed, but actively supported to grow, lead and thrive.
In South Africa, CHEP has now been recognised as a Top Employer for nine consecutive years and has retained Top Employer Africa status for eight successive years. In addition, CHEP was recognised as a Top Gender Empowered company, further underscoring its commitment to equity and inclusion. These milestones reflect sustained investment in leadership capability, employee wellbeing, fair reward practices and inclusive workplace frameworks, all of which are critical to attracting, retaining and advancing women across operational and leadership roles.
By embedding equity into its people strategy, CHEP demonstrates that valuing women in the supply chain is not a peripheral initiative, it is central to building resilient operations, stronger leadership pipelines and a more competitive, diverse organisation.