When women grow, leadership grows: Inside BDO's #SheLeads programme
When women grow, leadership grows: Inside BDO's #SheLeads programme
How coaching, meaningful connections and real-world leadership experiences are helping the next generation of women find their voice and shape their future.
Leadership doesn't begin with a title. It begins with the confidence to contribute, the courage to pursue opportunities and the support of people who recognise your potential.
At BDO South Africa, these principles are at the heart of #SheLeads, a leadership development initiative that is helping female audit trainees build the confidence, skills and professional relationships they need to grow.
Now in its third year, the programme is based in BDO's Cape Town office and brings together selected second- and third-year female audit trainees for a development experience that extends beyond their day-to-day responsibilities. To qualify, participants must be actively studying towards their CTA, ITC or APC and have a performance rating that meets or exceeds expectations.
Through structured coaching, leadership exposure, professional development sessions and opportunities to engage with experienced professionals, #SheLeads creates space for participants to explore their potential, challenge their perspectives and take ownership of their career journeys.
Creating opportunities for women to lead
The programme emerged from a recognition within BDO's Cape Town management committee that female trainees would benefit from additional support as they navigate the early stages of their professional careers.
What began as an initiative to address that need has become an important part of developing a stronger pipeline of future female leaders.
According to Karlien Groenewald, founding partner of the programme, the vision extends beyond building individual capabilities. It is about creating an environment where women can confidently pursue leadership opportunities.
At this year's launch, the message was particularly powerful: believing that women can lead is only the starting point. The next step is creating a world in which they have every opportunity to do so.
Interest in the programme continues to grow, with applications for the 2026 intake exceeding the number of available places.
For BDO, this reflects both the demand for meaningful professional development and the value of investing in talented people early in their careers.
Beyond coaching
One of the defining features of #SheLeads is the relationship between participants and their coaches. Each trainee is paired with a partner who can offer guidance, share professional experiences and provide a different perspective on the opportunities and challenges ahead.
These relationships often extend beyond formal coaching conversations.
For Promise Twagirishema, a second-year trainee accountant in Financial Services, the relationship with her coach, Shehnaaz Suleman, has been one of the most valuable aspects of her experience.
Their conversations have taken place during walks, gym sessions and informal catch-ups, creating opportunities to discuss everything from professional development and studies to personal aspirations.
As Promise explains:
"Having someone I could openly talk to, ask questions, and learn from made the programme feel much more personal and impactful."
For Shakia Uddin, the guidance of her coach, Imtiaaz Hashim, has been equally significant. His willingness to listen, offer advice and introduce her to different perspectives has helped her approach her career with greater clarity and confidence.
These experiences illustrate an important principle behind the programme: coaching is not simply about sharing knowledge. It is about building relationships that encourage people to see possibilities they may not previously have considered.
Finding confidence and discovering potential
While participants enter #SheLeads with different motivations, many share a desire to become more confident in their abilities and better prepared for future leadership responsibilities.
Rebecca Emond joined the programme hoping to strengthen her confidence ahead of taking on greater responsibility within her audit team.
Through the programme's On the Couch sessions and book club discussions, she has challenged herself to apply new perspectives in her everyday life, becoming more comfortable stepping outside her comfort zone.
Victoria Barnes-Webb, a trainee accountant in General Audit, has experienced a similar shift.
Naturally more comfortable with technical tasks and supporting roles, Victoria has found that #SheLeads has encouraged her to share ideas more confidently, make decisions and take greater ownership of outcomes.
For Lindokuhle Malaza, the experience has also reinforced the importance of defining success on her own terms.
Through her coaching relationship, she has gained insight into how successful women can build rewarding careers while maintaining fulfilling lives outside work.
Together, these experiences highlight how leadership development is often about more than acquiring new skills. It is also about recognising existing strengths, developing self-awareness and building the confidence to put those capabilities into practice.
Every leadership journey has a story
For some participants, joining #SheLeads represents another important step in a journey shaped by determination and resilience.
Shakia Uddin was born in Bangladesh, where she witnessed how social expectations could limit opportunities for girls and young women.
After moving to South Africa as a young teenager, she faced the challenge of adapting to a new language and unfamiliar environment.
Today, she is the first woman in her maternal family line to complete high school and earn two degrees.
Her motivation for joining #SheLeads was deeply personal:
"The #SheLeads focus on empowering women aligns with everything I have fought to become and everything I still hope to be."
Shakia's story is a powerful reminder that every individual brings different experiences, perspectives and ambitions to the workplace.
By creating opportunities for women to share those experiences, learn from one another and develop meaningful connections, #SheLeads is helping participants build both confidence and a stronger sense of belonging.
Building the skills to shape tomorrow
Alongside its focus on personal and professional growth, the 2026 programme encourages participants to think critically about the future of their profession.
Divided into two teams, participants are developing projects that explore two important challenges facing chartered accountancy:
- How to attract the next generation of Chartered Accountants (SA) amid declining interest in the profession.
- How the role of the CA(SA) is evolving in an AI-driven world, from technical expert to strategic thinker.
These projects will be presented at the programme's finale, giving participants an opportunity to collaborate, challenge conventional thinking and present their ideas.
The experience also reinforces the importance of leadership capabilities that extend beyond technical expertise, including communication, collaboration, strategic thinking and adaptability.
For Karlien, another rewarding aspect of the programme is seeing participants build professional networks that may continue to support them long after the programme concludes.
As trainees connect with colleagues outside their usual teams, they develop relationships that can become an important foundation for their future careers.
Investing in people. Developing future leaders.
The impact of #SheLeads is reflected not only in the skills participants develop, but also in the confidence with which they begin to approach their futures.
For some, this means becoming more comfortable sharing their perspectives or taking responsibility. For others, it means building professional relationships, learning from experienced leaders or recognising opportunities they might once have considered beyond their reach.
And while every journey is different, the common thread is clear: when people have access to meaningful guidance, opportunities and support, they are better equipped to realise their potential.
Through initiatives such as #SheLeads, BDO continues to invest in the development of its people while helping to build a future in which more women are empowered to lead, contribute and succeed.
Because when women grow, leadership grows – and the possibilities extend far beyond the individual.