When Nontokozo Madonsela steps into a room, she doesn’t just bring vision—she brings strategy, empathy, and an unshakable commitment to women’s progress. As the architect behind Momentum’s She Owns Her Success platform and the driving force behind the Boost Her Boots Fund, Madonsela continues to redefine what it looks like for brands to empower with purpose.
Here, she chats to us about her approach to creating spaces where female athletes thrive beyond the game, leading with intuition and courage, and how we can all begin to build our personal boardrooms one bold decision at a time.
Glamour: Let’s start with Boost Her Boots. What inspired this initiative?
Nontokozo Madonsela: Momentum is about enabling success—in finances, in sport, and in life. Earlier this year at our Indaba, we gathered a small group and asked a direct question: What are your biggest challenges? What came through strongly was that female athletes face unique pressures. They often aren’t paid, despite giving the same, if not more time and effort as their male counterparts. They also carry the weight of balancing family life, careers, and the demands of high-level competition.
On top of that, there’s a lack of visibility and appreciation for who they are beyond the game. That’s what inspired Boost Her Boots. We wanted to create more than just a summit—we wanted a fund that offers real, practical support: capital, mentorship, coaching, and tools for elite female athletes looking to build businesses.
This is a pilot round. We’re watching how it’s received, assessing the quality of proposals, and if it works, we’ll expand. Momentum is consistent. She Owns Her Success has been running for seven years now. The Summit is in its third year. We don’t dip in and out but we commit and grow.
Glamour: That consistency is powerful. We’ve also collaborated with Momentum on the Glamour Book to amplify the #SheOwnsHerSuccess message during Women’s Month. It’s been impactful to witness your work from the inside.
Nontokozo: And we really appreciate that. Sometimes there's a misconception that big media only supports flashy brands. But working with Glamour, we’ve felt that genuine alignment. Momentum doesn’t create marketing from the boardroom. We create for the streets. We always ask: Is this going to land where it matters? Will it make a real impact? At the Indaba, we had icons like Fran Hilton-Smith and Desiree Ellis with us; women who live this every day. Their input helped us refine the focus: what specific and meaningful support can we offer? That’s what the Fund is about.
Glamour: Last year’s summit made a huge impression. Desiree Ellis was on our cover afterward, and it felt like the perfect continuation of the story.
Nontokozo: It’s heartening to hear that. The feedback we’ve received has been incredible. These athletes are educated; many have degrees in commerce, science, or law but they haven’t had access to the kind of knowledge we shared: building a personal brand, managing your digital footprint, using AI effectively, navigating contracts. They leave the summit feeling equipped, confident, and seen. That’s what we’re here for.
Glamour: There’s clearly a strong intentionality behind your team’s programming and curation. What drives that?
Nontokozo: Honestly? Bravery. I’m drawn to ideas that scare me. If a pitch feels safe or expected, I immediately ask: What are we missing? I’m energised by risk because that’s where innovation lives.
Glamour: How have the conversations at the Summit evolved since the first one?
Nontokozo: Year one felt like being the new kid on the bus; uncertain, observing, trying to feel things out. But we had strong partners, like M Sport and Prof Anita Bosch, who helped us build trust. By year two, people started coming back. And by year three, the room was filled with confidence, openness, and a hunger to grow. We’ve also been deliberate about the venue GIBS because we want these women to feel like they belong in leadership spaces. Those microphones aren’t just for show. We want them to raise their hands, challenge ideas, and claim space.
Glamour: What would you say is your biggest takeaway from this year’s Summit?
Nontokozo: That the world needs us to be entrepreneurial. And I don’t mean everyone must start a business. I mean we must be resourceful, strategic, deliberate.
Start with the end in mind. Know what you want to achieve by year-end—and reverse engineer your way there. Be intentional about your network. Ask questions. Ask for help. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that simply asking opens doors. Whether it's getting a podcast guest or launching a new initiative—just ask.
Glamour: So, what’s your final message to Glamour readers this Women’s Month?
Nontokozo: Do it afraid. Many of us ignore our intuition out of fear. But if you keep silencing that voice, it eventually stops serving you. Curiosity is powerful. Fear is normal. Take one brave decision a day, and watch what happens.
Bravery, again. Start scared if you must. Take one bold step every day. Trust your intuition. And build your personal boardroom—your own committee of trusted voices you go to for advice. You don’t need to consult 10 people. Just three people you trust, each with different strengths. And above all, start with the end in mind. Ask yourself: What will I be proud of come December?
Then go and make it happen.
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