First National Bank (FNB) has been named a lead empowerment partner for the WomenIN Festival 2025, a two-day event in Cape Town aimed at celebrating and supporting women entrepreneurs, professionals, and community builders across South Africa.
The festival, which takes place on 13-14 November at Newlands Cricket Ground, is running under the banner: “Limitless: No Labels, No Limits, No Apologies.” FNB stated the partnership is driven by a shared purpose of unlocking broader social and economic impact by empowering women.
“As a financial institution, we’re intentional about supporting women in each and every role they play—business owners, leaders, caregivers, and changemakers,” said Nicole Sykes, head of women in business at FNB. “Partnering with the WomenIN Festival 2025 allows us to show up in a way that’s visible, grounded, and future-focused.”
A platform for transformation
Both FNB and WomenIN, a women’s empowerment portfolio within the VUKA Group, stated a commitment to building systems and providing tools that enable women to lead, grow, and thrive in the economy.
“WomenIN is more than a festival. It’s a platform for transformation,” Sykes added. “It encapsulates and mirrors our values around access, equity, and building something bigger than ourselves.”
The collaboration will feature a range of initiatives designed to provide tangible value to attendees. These include financial wellness sessions focused on money management and wealth-building, as well as dynamic leadership roundtables. These roundtables will bring together trailblazers from various sectors through FNB’s Nav Marketplace and the WomenIN platform.
FNB will also use the event to highlight authentic stories of women-led businesses that have scaled through its own enterprise development programmes, putting a face to the impact it aims to amplify.
A long-term, legacy-focused vision
Sykes emphasised that the partnership extends beyond the two-day festival, representing a long-term, legacy-focused vision for the bank.
“We’re not just showing up for the two days. We want to create ongoing pathways for women to connect, lead, and build lasting financial independence,” Sykes said. “We’ve built platforms, resources, and support systems tailored specifically for women in business. We’re not new to this. This partnership just takes it further.”
Nazlee Fredericks-Maharaj, founder of WomenIN, described the collaboration as a catalyst and a “call to action.”
“This is bigger than an event or a campaign. It’s a movement,” she said. “Together with FNB, we’re creating space for women to dream bigger, grow stronger, and connect in ways that have real impact—building not just confidence and soft skills, but also financial literacy and practical hard skills that empower women to succeed personally and professionally.”
The event encourages women entrepreneurs and professionals to attend the FNB-hosted sessions and join the bank’s digital channels for ongoing educational programmes and initiatives tailored to women in business.
“This is more than a partnership, it’s a movement,” Sykes concluded. “We invite every woman to step into her power, connect, and grow with us. We’re here to walk the journey with women, whether you’re building a business, leading a team, supporting your family and social circles or shaping your future. FNB is your partner in progress.”
