Samsung South Africa Celebrates International Women’s Day in Style
The women of various Samsung offices across Africa celebrated International Women’s Day on Friday, 8 March 2024. South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal and Ghana hosted lunches, discussion forums, and other fun and exciting activities to mark the occasion. The events were a testament to the company’s commitment to recognising and honouring the achievements and contributions of women in the workplace.
In South Africa, the ladies pulled out all the stops and hosted a fun-filled vibrant celebration at Samsung DQX, Design Quarter in Johannesburg. All the ladies in attendance looked exquisite and fully understood the assignment of Shades of Purple and Pink dress code. The event itself was themed ‘Inspire Inclusion’, to put out a rallying call to have more gender inclusivity. The atmosphere at the DQX store was charged with enthusiasm and empowerment as women from various departments and roles within Samsung South Africa gathered to commemorate this special occasion. The event was not only a celebration but also an opportunity for networking, collaboration, and the exchange of ideas among the talented and diverse women within the organisation.
The highlight of the day was a series of inspiring speeches delivered by some of the accomplished women leaders from Samsung South Africa. A panel of four leaders shared their personal journeys, highlighting the challenges they’ve overcome and the milestones they’ve achieved in their respective careers. These empowering stories resonated with the audience, fostering a sense of unity and motivation among the women present.
In addition to the inspiring speeches, the celebration featured interactive discussions on topics such as work-life balance, underrepresentation of women in leadership positions, suitable conditions of employment, micro-aggressions, inadequate maternity and family support. The aim was to create a space for learning and growth while encouraging the exchange of insights and experiences.
Samsung’s commitment to empowering women was on full display at the event. Among other interventions was People Group (HR) revealing updates to some policies that directly affect women. Maternity leave, which was previously a 3-months paid and 1-month unpaid leave, is now going to be 4 months paid leave (with immediate effect), with the introduction of flexi-return in the first month of resuming work. Parental leave has changed from 3 days paid and 7 unpaid to 10 days fully paid leave. Adoption leave for new-born babies is 3 months paid while for a child of up to 3 months old, it’s 2 months paid. The event also saw the launch of a new voluntary forum to empower the company’s women called Women In Samsung Electronics Africa (WISE).
Lefa Makgato, who got exposed to Samsung through one of its Corporate Social Investment (CSI) initiatives as an 18-year old high school learner, to now being employed within the CSI team, gave an account of how she witnessed some transformation from the time of her initial exposure to the company to date. “Previously corporate affairs within Samsung was predominantly led by men, and throughout the years there has been a drastic change and women are now leading the department. I am glad to be part of that change and to be part of the transformation,” said Makgato.
“I’m happy to see that Samsung prioritises diversity and inclusion, and proud to work for a company that has ensured inclusivity regardless of gender, where everyone is given the same opportunity to learn and grow in their careers,” said Rehema Nyambura, Mobile eXperiences (MX) Product Manager at Samsung’s East Africa office in Kenya.
“For me, inspired inclusion means no gender bias with regards to income. I want to be able to earn the same as my male counterparts if we are doing the same job. We also want to see care support for women, especially mothers, such as having a crèche in the facility that would allow us some flexibility for child care. It also means seeing women in top positions in the company so that aspiring women, young ladies can look up to them and be inspired,” said Dominica Imogirie, Consumer Electronics (CE) SCM Analyst in Samsung Nigeria.
There was a healthy combination of in-depth conversation, good food, prize giveaways, and good old fun and laughter as the attendees enjoyed themselves outside of the office. The event concluded with a symbolic gesture of unity as the women of Samsung South Africa collectively committed to continue supporting and uplifting each other in their professional journeys. Many of the smiles were also captured through pictures to mark the moment of solidarity, showcasing the strength and resilience of the women within the Samsung family.
Samsung South Africa remains dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace, where women are recognised, valued, and given the opportunities to thrive. The leader of the company was there to reiterate this pledge in person. “My understanding about the original purpose for International Women’s Day is that it was created to fight against the discrimination of women in all its forms. I will do my best to eradicate any form of discrimination against women in Samsung,” said President and CEO of Samsung Africa, Mr Simon Lee.
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