Women’s Month is always a good time to celebrate the women shaping our world, but GLAMOUR’s August issue goes beyond the usual stories of resilience and empowerment. This month, we’re looking at what strength, success, beauty, freedom and ambition actually look like for women today.
From Zinhle Masango’s powerful story of rebuilding herself to conversations about money, motherhood, career reinvention, relationships and the beauty trends defining spring, this is an issue made for the woman who is still becoming.
Here are five reasons to pick up GLAMOUR’s August 2026 issue.
Two cover stars, two different takes on modern womanhood
Our cover star Zinhle Masango has built an impressive career as an award-winning fitness personality, bodybuilding champion, triathlete and Under Armour ambassador. But her story is about far more than fitness. It’s about perseverance, self-belief and finding the strength to keep going when life gets difficult.
In her candid conversation with GLAMOUR, Zinhle opens up about her journey from being a girl born in Daveyton to building a career, buying her own home, becoming an athlete and creating a platform that inspires other women. She also reflects on how her understanding of strength has changed. It’s no longer simply about physical endurance or how strong you look, but about vulnerability, healing and having the courage to walk away from what no longer serves you.
Alongside Zinhle, Natasha Thahane graces our second cover, offering another perspective on what it means to own your power.
The actress, mother, businesswoman and creative speaks about embracing her “both, and” chapter, refusing to put herself into neat boxes and allowing every part of her identity to exist at once. She reflects on being soft and driven, a mother and ambitious, private and visible, while continuing to evolve in both her personal life and career.
Spring beauty and fashion refresh
If your wardrobe and beauty bag are ready for a seasonal reset, LOOK and FEEL have you covered.
On the fashion front, we’re embracing the softer side of spring, decoding the latest runway trends and showing you how to make light layering work as the seasons change. We’re also making a case for the return of the Capri pant, spotlighting the shoes worth adding to your rotation and looking at the fashion collaborations currently on our radar.
In FEEL, we’re getting to the root of healthy hair with a deep dive into scalp care, exploring the latest spring hair and beauty trends, and meeting Silki Skincare founder Mena Kooger. There’s also a conversation around an increasingly relevant reality for women: experiencing postpartum and perimenopause at the same time.
We talk about the things women are actually thinking about
The THINK and LIVE sections take the conversation beyond the surface, tackling some of the questions that increasingly shape women’s lives.
What does freedom actually mean to South African women in 2026? Is the “rich girl era” really about designer handbags, or is it about financial independence, ownership and building wealth? Is marriage still the ultimate measure of success? And what happens when you realise it’s time to change careers in your 40s?
The issue also explores female desire, chosen family and the rise of intentional communities, looking at how women are creating support systems that reflect the lives they actually want to live.
We’re celebrating women who are making space for others
We meet four South African women breaking ground across technology, finance, politics and agriculture, each challenging ideas about who gets to lead and what leadership looks like.
We also meet women building intentional communities, redefining wealth and creating lives on their own terms. And in our powerful conversation with Lola Akinmade Åkerström, we explore evolution, reinvention, motherhood and the importance of making space for others to rise alongside you.
Tribute to the women who shaped us
One of the most personal stories in the issue is our “Women Who Made Me” feature, which asks a simple but powerful question: Who are the women who helped make you the woman you are today?
Media personality and podcaster, Gugulethu Nyatshumba reflects on the women who have influenced her life, from family members who have been mentors and role models to the women whose love, strength, faith and example have shaped her understanding of womanhood.
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