As South Africa prepares to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026 this Sunday, a prominent voice in the industrial and technology sectors, is warning that the global theme of "Give to Gain" is being dangerously misinterpreted as corporate charity rather than industrial necessity.
Merel van der Lei, CEO of Wyzetalk, argues that while South African mining, manufacturing, and technology sectors are hitting numerical "gender targets," the women behind those numbers remain professionally isolated.
The "Participation Penalty"
"In South Africa, we have a habit of treating IWD as a day for symbolic giving - a few bursaries here, a corporate lunch for female managers there," says Van der Lei. "But the real 'Give' in 'Give to Gain' is radical: it’s about giving back the agency and visibility that women on the frontlines have been denied long after they’ve been hired."
Van der Lei points to a "participation penalty" currently stalling the industrial core. While female representation in South African mining is climbing toward 20%, the qualitative experience remains one of invisibility.
"We are essentially telling a woman that her hands are welcome to operate the machinery, but her brain is not welcome to improve the process," says Van der Lei. "You cannot expect to 'Gain' loyalty or productivity from an employee who feels like a ghost in their own machine."
From Compliance to Reciprocity
The South African industrial sector is currently grappling with a shift toward autonomous equipment and digital transformation. However, Van der Lei warns that innovation is often used as a shield to avoid dealing with the human complexities of the workforce.
"The most innovative thing a JSE-listed entity can do this year isn't buying a new fleet of autonomous equipment; it's proving to the woman on the floor that she is a stakeholder in the organisation's survival," she asserts.
Van der Lei identifies three shifts needed for South African industry to move from 'Charity' to 'Reciprocity':
- Direct feedback loops: Moving beyond HR surveys to actual frontline communication where female operators can influence operational strategy.
- Ending the "Visitor" syndrome: Shifting culture so women aren't treated as guests in traditionally male spaces, but as owners of those spaces.
- Valuing insight over presence: Measuring success not by how many women are in the building, but by how many of their ideas are being implemented.
"Until we move from charity to reciprocity, our gender targets will remain nothing more than a perceived compliance headache," Van der Lei concludes. "This Sunday, let’s stop celebrating that women are 'allowed' to be in the industry, and start listening to what they have to say now that they are here."
