“This is not about exclusion. It is about intentionally building power where it has never been structured before.”
Fawzia Peer
Founder & Chair, GBWCCI
The Impetus for Change
In 2024, driven by a desire for freedom, flexibility, and meaningful impact, I embarked on the entrepreneurial journey. After navigating the business landscape, I encountered the deep-rooted inequities that so many women in South Africa face: systemic barriers, a lack of tailored support, and persistent under-representation in key economic spaces.
Time and again, I heard the same frustrations echoed by other women entrepreneurs: stories of isolation, overlooked potential, and the limits of traditional networking spaces not built with them in mind.
This created the impetus for change. That change became GBWCCI: the Global Business Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
More than just a chamber, GBWCCI is a movement built to equip, empower, and connect women entrepreneurs in South Africa and around the world. Our mission is to create a platform where women are seen, heard, supported, and celebrated as the powerful economic drivers they are.
Together, we are redefining what it means to lead, succeed, and uplift others. Our dynamic network spans industries and borders, supporting women from startups to multinational companies, offering visibility, trade opportunities, and strategic partnerships.
Vision
To be a globally respected, outcomes-driven business chamber that builds lasting economic power for women and diverse leaders.
We envision an economy where women are not merely included but are active architects of growth—founding scalable enterprises, influencing policy, leading institutions, and participating meaningfully in global trade.
Our vision is a future where economic opportunity is structured, access is intentional, and women across backgrounds and geographies can live, work, and lead with dignity, confidence, and long-term economic freedom.
Mission
To design and operate a modern, outcomes-driven business chamber that converts access into advantage and participation into economic power for women.
We build structured pathways for women entrepreneurs, professionals, and leaders to start, scale, and sustain impactful enterprises by providing the platforms, networks, education, and capital access required for real economic participation.
Through strategic partnerships, advocacy, and cross-border collaboration, we remove systemic barriers, influence policy, and enable women to shape markets, institutions, and communities with confidence.