September 30, 2022
Cape Town, September 29, 2022: Bloomberg News celebrated the launch of the second year of its New Voices initiative in South Africa, with a reception and networking event at the Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town.
The evening, attended by senior women in business in finance in South Africa, featured a conversation with Ann Leepile, CEO of Alexforbes Investments, Saloshni Pillay, Chief Country Officer for South Africa for Deutsche Bank and Fikile Mbhokota, CEO of Satrix, moderated by Amogelang Mbatha, South Africa Bureau Chief, Bloomberg News. The discussion focused on the growing role of sustainable finance in creating value and maximizing the impact of social and environmental investment. Speakers also touched on the energy sector’s just transition, green bonds, gender-linked bonds, ESG investments in the current market, and the energy crisis, which has been an ongoing focus for South Africa.
Amogelang Mbatha, South Africa Bureau Chief at Bloomberg News moderates panel discussion with Saloshni Pillay, Chief Country Officer for South Africa for Deutsche Bank, Ann Leepile, CEO of Alexforbes Investments, and Fikile Mbhokota, CEO of Satrix.
The evening also included presentations from senior Bloomberg newsroom leaders including Jacqueline Simmons, Business Head for EMEA and Laura Zelenko, Senior Executive Editor and New Voices Founder.
Speaking at the event, Zelenko said, “I am really thrilled to be here to extend our work in amplifying the important views of women across South Africa’s financial industry.” She added, “We know that if we define our stories in a narrow way, we limit our coverage to the perspectives of the status quo; if we instead widen our reach and select a diversity of informed expert voices, we in turn elevate the quality of our coverage and provide our viewers and readers a greater service – a truly comprehensive outlook of global financial markets.”
Senior Executive Editor and New Voices Founder Laura Zelenko delivers opening remarks.
Speaking to the role of local journalism in the South African rollout, Amogelang Mbatha, South Africa Bureau Chief, Bloomberg News said, “There really is no better time to attract more women onto the various platforms that we have at Bloomberg News because the world is excited to hear from Africa, especially with the spotlight on the continent leading up to COP27 later this year.”
Bloomberg News launched the New Voices initiative in 2018, providing media training to female executives in business and finance across the globe to get the executives TV-ready to speak confidently on a range of topics, including climate finance and their own company’s ESG policies. The program is in 13 global cities, including: New York, San Francisco, Toronto, London, Zurich, Dubai, Johannesburg, Mumbai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Sydney, Washington D.C. and Singapore.
Attendees at the Bloomberg New Voices Cape Town event.
Since the program’s inception in 2018, more than 400 executives have received media training. Many participants have appeared on Bloomberg Television and have been booked on and quoted in other media outlets. To apply or nominate someone for the New Voices media training program, please click here. Find out more about how Bloomberg is advancing women at the company, in the workplace, in the news and in the world.