2026 WARRIOR WOMAN FINALISTS ANNOUNCED ON GOOD HOPE FM

2026 WARRIOR WOMAN FINALISTS ANNOUNCED ON GOOD HOPE FM

Good Hope FM proudly announced the 29 finalists for the 2026 Warrior Woman Awards on The Morning Show with Leigh-Anne Williams this morning, following an overwhelming response from listeners across Cape Town, the broader Western Cape and further afield. Listeners are now encouraged to vote for their favourite.

 

Hundreds of entries poured in, showcasing women whose courage, compassion, creativity and leadership are shaping communities and changing lives. Every nomination reflected a story worth celebrating, and Good Hope FM salutes all the remarkable women who were put forward.

 

Now in its third year, the Warrior Woman Awards honour women who fight hunger, support vulnerable communities, build businesses, champion education, improve health and wellness, strengthen neighbourhoods, break barriers in challenging industries, inspire through sport, uplift culture through creativity and empower the next generation of rising stars.

 

Below are the 2026 finalists, listed per category.

 

THE HUNGER FIGHTER AWARD A woman who is making a real difference in the fight against hunger and food insecurity. She may be helping families access nutritious food, running feeding programmes or creating long-term solutions to food insecurity.

 

• Joan Adonis – Grassy Park: Feeds her community through a soup kitchen that provides meals twice a week for around 250 people, distributes food parcels and household items, and hosts an annual Christmas lunch for elders and children.
• Nokuzola Mabinza – Gugulethu / Khayelitsha: CEO and Founder of Mbizana Soup Kitchen in Khayelitsha, serving warm, nutritious meals three times a week while empowering elderly and disabled residents through skills development.
• Carmen Stevens – Somerset West: Award-winning winemaker whose school feeding initiative, the Carmen Stevens Foundation, has delivered more than 56.7 million meals to children across 701 schools.

THE COMMUNITY CARE AWARD A woman whose work supports people through difficult circumstances and helps them live safer, healthier and more secure lives. She may work directly with families, children, vulnerable people or communities facing hardship.

 

• Sandy Schuter – Strandfontein: A passionate community safety advocate and chairperson of the Strandfontein Community Police Forum who fights crime and supports neighbourhood watches to protect women, children, and the elderly.
• Sadieka Paulsen – Mitchells Plain: After successfully rehabilitating herself from a 16-year drug struggle, she opened a cleaning company to employ and empower individuals facing similar battles, while also uplifting youth in Mitchells Plain.
• Michelle Prinsloo – Strand: Known as “die vonkel vrou,” she has devoted 35 years to her community by running a daily soup kitchen for 150 children, operating a school clothing bank, and offering skills classes, tutoring, and 24/7 support.

 

THE JOB CREATOR AWARD A woman who has built a successful business or enterprise that creates opportunities for others. It celebrates entrepreneurs who use their success to create jobs, develop skills, support livelihoods or open doors to economic opportunity.

 

• Raisa Fisher – Rondebosch: Founder of I AM – A Creative Agency, she bridges the gap between corporate needs and creativity, providing mentorship and career development planning for local creatives, non-profits, and the busking community.
• Isabel Byers – Devils Peak Estate: Founder of the Isabel Byers School of Speech and Drama, she has spent over 20 years building children’s confidence and communication skills, ensuring her programs remain accessible to youth from diverse backgrounds.
• Melissa Carelse – Ottery: An Educare principal who started her own school during COVID-19, she channels her personal struggles into providing endless love, care, and an affordable, supportive environment for her students.

 

THE EDUCATION CHAMPION AWARD A woman who is changing lives by helping people learn, develop skills and reach their potential. Her impact may be in schools, early childhood development, literacy, vocational training or youth programmes.

 

• Belinka Forbes – Athlone: Founder of Matai Youth Camp, a social entrepreneur who fights for equal access to educational facilities, helping young people discover their strengths and potential regardless of their circumstances.
• Zaironesa Karriem (Auntie Niesa) – Bonteheuwel: A Youth Coordinator for Sea the Bigger Picture, she equips youth with life skills through marine science programs, aquarium courses, mentorships, and educational history tours.
• Anthea Trout & Divine Folding – Mitchell’s Plain & Bonteheuwel: Co-founders of BonteKids and Shaylex Community Projects, they support children and families through reading assistance, feeding programs, trauma counselling, and empowering community workshops.

 

THE WELLNESS WARRIOR AWARD A woman who is improving the health and wellbeing of others through healthcare, mental-health support, health education or improving access to care.

 

• Mymoena Scholtz – Grassy Park: A qualified social auxiliary worker and founder of Where Rainbows Meet Training and Development Foundation, mentoring women’s and youth groups to bring social change to disadvantaged communities.
• Ellie Martheze – Brackenfell: Mental health advocate and founder of You Have Purpose, an organization dedicated to suicide prevention, promoting mental health awareness, and creating safe spaces for youth to have healing conversations.
• Faye Eshragi – Heideveld: Managing Director of the Knowledge Translation Foundation, she leads strategy and operations to support nurses and doctors globally by facilitating clinical guides and training across thousands of healthcare facilities.

 

THE COMMUNITY BUILDER AWARD A woman who brings people together and takes action to make her community a better place. She may be leading local projects, improving safety, creating better public spaces, mobilising residents or developing community resources.

 

• Lindsay Adams – Mitchell’s Plain: Founder of #AgainstPeriodPoverty, she champions menstrual equity by placing sanitary pad vending machines in schools and driving education to ensure young girls don’t miss class.
• Mutheera Rademeyer – Ocean View: Takes a holistic approach to community upliftment by running a soup kitchen, an environmental club, and an afterschool tutoring program, while also creating safe social spaces for seniors to belong.
• Latiefa Jacobs – Kuils River: Founder of Aurorah CAN, she is a bridge builder and human rights activist who connects organizations to create pathways for development, using storytelling and participatory research to drive social change.

 

THE CHANGE-MAKER AWARD A woman whose achievements, leadership or personal journey are helping to change perceptions of what women can achieve. She is breaking barriers, challenging expectations or creating opportunities for other women.

 

• Jadine Knecht – Beaufort West: A rapper and youth arts advocate who facilitates music, drama, and creative development for young people through TNGRECORDS’ After School Arts Program.
• Sally Sivewright – Fish Hoek: A Marine Biologist who founded Guardians of the Deep NPC and the Cape Kelp Forest Trail, encouraging communities to engage with natural heritage through education, exploration, and survival swimming.
• Indira Melela Lubambo – Gugulethu: Founder of Melela4Children, she tackles poverty and educational inequality by creating safe, empowering environments where children in disadvantaged communities can develop into future leaders.

 

THE RISING WARRIOR AWARD A young woman aged 18 to 30 who is already making a meaningful difference and showing the leadership and potential to achieve even more. She may be making an impact through her studies, career, business, community work, advocacy or an initiative she has started herself.

• Mekylin Engelbrecht – Cape Town: A 21-year-old law student, published author, and founder of ME FASHION who uses literature and garments to break the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote self-love and body positivity.
• Danielle Isaacs – Pelican Park: Having overcome extreme childhood hardship, she discovered her potential as a top sales earner before successfully building multiple businesses, including Solo D Cleaning Services and Woodpecker Educare.

 

THE SPORTING CHAMPION AWARD A woman whose work in sport goes beyond personal achievement. She may be inspiring others, developing young talent, creating access to sport, mentoring others or using sport to bring positive change to her community.

 

• Carina Bruwer – Stellenbosch: An internationally recognized open-water marathon swimmer whose pioneering swims have raised over R2 million for charity, and the CEO of Gigster, a tech marketplace for the events industry.
• Nicky Carpenter – Tokai: Head of Facilities and a hands-on community leader who coaches and serves as a medic for Meadowridge Association Football Club, while also feeding vulnerable families in informal settlements.
• Nuraan Osman – Lansdowne: Chairperson for Liverpool Portlands FC, she uses football as an escape from poverty and gangs for local youth, implementing mandatory feeding schemes and a positivity-only approach at all matches.

 

THE CREATIVE IMPACT AWARD A woman whose creative work has an impact beyond her own success. She may be contributing to culture, telling important stories, creating opportunities for others, preserving heritage or giving people a voice through her art.

 

• Shana Fife – Pelican Heights: An author and creative whose memoir Ougat explores Coloured identity in South Africa, actively using her platform to speak out against gender-based violence and challenge historical stigmas.
• Nikita Hendricks – Lansdowne: Founder of Pins and Needles Sewing, she brings sewing machines into community spaces to teach highly affordable, practical skills that have empowered many to start their own small businesses.
• Janet Pillai – Airport City: Founder of Jetsetting with Janet, she tells authentic African stories through travel and wellness, championing women-led enterprises and inclusive economic participation in the tourism sector.

 

Voting is officially open from 7 October until 26 October 2026. To cast your vote for your favourite finalist, simply SMS “WWA26”, followed by the name of the nominee, your name, surname, and ID number to 37766. By participating, you also stand a chance to win a Good Hope FM hamper. (SMSes are charged at R1.50, and free SMSes do not apply.)

 

A panel of judges consisting of Good Hope FM senior management and presenters will evaluate the finalists and their votes, and then select the winners. The 2026 Warrior Woman Awards winners will be announced on 31 October 2026 during the grand finale.

 

Masi Mdingane, Business Manager for Good Hope FM and 5FM, says “Going through these entries has been one of the most inspiring experiences of the year. Whether they appear on the finalists list or not, every woman nominated is making a remarkable difference in Cape Town, the Western Cape and South Africa as a whole. They are feeding communities, building businesses, protecting families, educating children, championing wellness, driving creativity, breaking barriers and leading change where it is needed most. Women are not waiting for permission. They are leading the charge. Congratulations to our finalists. We look forward to Cape Town’s greatest showcase of formidable women when we crown the 2026 Warrior Woman Award winners.”

 

Stay tuned to Good Hope FM, visit goodhopefm.co.za, download the Good Hope FM App, and follow the station on all social platforms to follow the journey of these extraordinary women. You can also get all of Good Hope FM and the SABC’s best content by heading on over to SABC PLUS.