Building Collective Power for Gender Justice in South Africa

Rise Up Leaders and training facilitator Mahlatse Mpya at our recent Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator in South Africa, April 2026.

This April, Rise Up Together welcomed 25 local leaders from across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal to Johannesburg for our 2026 South Africa Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator. Over the course of the week, civil society leaders working across gender justice, education, health, economic opportunity, and human rights came together to strengthen their leadership skills, develop advocacy projects, deepen collaboration, and build collective power for change. 

The cohort reflected the breadth and urgency of issues communities across South Africa are navigating daily. Leaders are advancing solutions to gender-based violence, expanding access to survivor justice and HIV services, supporting women in agriculture to improve economic mobility, strengthening educational opportunities, advancing LGBTQ+ rights and more.

Throughout the Accelerator, participants engaged in workshops, advocacy training, peer learning, and impactful discussions designed to help strengthen long-term, systems-level change for women, girls, and gender-nonconforming people across the country. The week was led by Rise Up Together’s South Africa Country Representative Rethabile Mphutlane and Africa Program Manager Lwazi Mdlopane, with trainings facilitated by Dr. Konosoang Sobane and Mahlatse Mpya of the Human Sciences Research Council. Leaders shared experiences from their communities, exchanged strategies, and explored new ways to advance equity and justice through advocacy. 

A moment of joy and solidarity with Rise Up Leaders at our recent Accelerator in South Africa.

South Africa continues to face deeply interconnected challenges, including high rates of gender-based violence, unemployment, inequitable access to services, and the ongoing impacts of HIV. At the same time, Rise Up Leaders and their organizations across the country are building bold, community-driven solutions every day. 

That spirit of community-based power, collaboration, and possibility shaped the entire week. 

The Accelerator also created space for connection across cohorts and partners. Alumni leaders from past Accelerators dating to 2020 participated in panels and discussions throughout the week, while local organizations and partners helped foster a learning environment grounded in a shared commitment to gender justice. 

Rise Up Leaders celebrate with joy during our recent Leadership and Advocacy Accelerator in South Africa.
From L–R: Rise Up Leader Denise Zambezi, Rise Up Together’s South Africa Country Representative Rethabile Mphutlane, and Rise Up Leader Nyasha ‘Masi’ Zhakata at our graduation ceremony.

One of the most joyful moments of the week came through music, celebration, and reflection as leaders honored the community they built together, the knowledge they gained, and the work ahead. 

As these leaders return to their communities, they do so with new tools, sharpened skills, strengthened networks, and renewed energy – supported by a growing movement for gender equity working alongside them. Leaders are now also eligible to apply for competitive grant funding to help launch and advance the advocacy projects they developed throughout the Accelerator.

Watch highlights from our 2026 South Africa Accelerator and hear directly from leaders about the power of community, advocacy, and Rise Up Together’s global network.