ICONIC GLOBAL SUMMIT & HONOURS 2025: “The Africa We Want” — From Vision to Action

On 6 December 2025, Africa convened not just for another event, but for a continental moment of reflection, recognition, and recommitment as the Iconic Global Summit & Honours 2025 unfolded under the powerful theme aligned to AU Agenda 2063: “The Africa We Want – Sustainable Development – Everyone’s Responsibility.”

Hosted in partnership with the Women African Tourism Board (WATB) and Iconic International, the summit stood as a living testament to what is possible when leadership, legacy, gender inclusion, culture, governance, and African pride converge in one room.

At the centre of this historic convening was Ambassador Moleboheng Matli, MBL President & Executive Chairperson of the Women African Tourism Board (WATB) whose leadership anchored both the strategic direction and the moral compass of the gathering.

A Continental Honour Roll: Leadership, Legacy & Living Icons

The Inaugural WATB Iconic Awards, unveiled at the summit, marked a defining milestone for the organisation and for African women-led recognition platforms. These honours celebrated Africans whose lives and work embody service, excellence, and Pan-African commitment.

Among the distinguished honourees were:

Her Excellency Neo Masisi

Former First Lady of the Republic of Botswana
Recognised for her leadership in women empowerment, education advocacy, and social development, and for redefining the role of First
Lady beyond ceremony into measurable impact.

Her Excellency Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma

Former Chairperson of the African Union Commission;
Former South African Minister of Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs, Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs;
Veteran liberation leader and Pan-Africanist.
Dr Dlamini-Zuma was honoured for her unparalleled contribution to continental governance, African integration, public service reform, and women’s leadership, standing as one of Africa’s most accomplished stateswomen of our time.

Dr Jane Mufamadi

Chief Executive Officer, Freedom Park

Dr Mufamadi was honoured for her leadership in heritage preservation, memory work, and the African repatriation discourse through Freedom Park an institution central to South Africa’s and Africa’s historical justice, reconciliation, and the ongoing work around restitution and the return of African heritage and human remains. Her role continues to resonate within broader African Union conversations on memory, dignity, and restoration.

Former President Black Business Council
Dr Danisa Baloyi

Dr. Danisa was recognised as one of the inaugural honourees of the WATB Iconic Awards, in acknowledgement of her contribution to ethical leadership, development advocacy, and the advancement of women in governance and social impact spaces. Her recognition reflects the Women African Tourism Board’s commitment to celebrating contemporary African leaders whose work aligns with Agenda 2063 and the collective responsibility of shaping “The Africa We Want.”

Sello Maake Ka-Ncube
Legendary Actor & Cultural Icon

Recognised as a giant of African storytelling, his lifetime contribution to theatre, television, film, and cultural consciousness has shaped generations and safeguarded African narratives on global stages.

Posthumous Iconic Legacy Awards

Winnie Khumalo — Celebrated for her indelible contribution to South African music and cultural expression.
Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi — Honoured as a continental and global symbol of African musical genius, social commentary, and cultural diplomacy.

Their legacies reaffirmed that Africa’s greatness lives on beyond mortality.

Nigeria – A Nation Close to the Heart

In recognition of Africa’s demographic and cultural powerhouse, and in affirmation of intra-African solidarity, the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, Nigeria, was honoured — reinforcing Nigeria’s pivotal role in advancing youth development, governance, and economic transformation across the continent. This recognition echoed the summit’s Pan-African ethos and its commitment to unity beyond borders.

WATB: Redefining Leadership, Tourism & Influence

The Women African Tourism Board (WATB) emerged from the summit not merely as a partner, but as a continental force shaping how Africa positions its women, its stories, and its economic futures.

The inaugural WATB Iconic Awards affirmed the organisation’s mission to:

Place African women at the centre of leadership and influence
Use tourism, culture, and narrative as tools of economic diplomacy
Champion ethical leadership, heritage, and sustainable development

Ambassador Moleboheng Matli: Two Decades of Service to Africa

In her address and presence, Ambassador Moleboheng Matli embodied the very theme of the summit.

For over two decades, she has dedicated her life to:

African economic development
Women and youth empowerment
Uncompromised media positioning of African success stories
Diplomatic service rooted in integrity and responsibility

At a time when Africa is too often framed through deficit narratives, Ambassador Matli has consistently chosen a different path — one of dignity, truth, excellence, and unapologetic African pride.

As Editor-in-Chief of Southgerian Lifestyle Magazine, she has positioned the publication as a platform that tells Africa’s stories from within, by Africans, for the world — affirming that Africa is richer in solutions, innovation, culture, and leadership than in the challenges that dominate headlines.

Humanitarian & Education Advocacy: AYESP and the Girl Child

Beyond summits and titles lies the heart of her work.

Through the Moleboheng Matli Foundation, Ambassador Matli drives AYESP (African Youth & Education Scholarship Programme) a bold initiative aimed at ensuring as many African girls as possible access quality education through global scholarships.

Her advocacy recognises education not as charity, but as liberation, and the girl child not as vulnerable, but as Africa’s greatest untapped asset.

Diplomacy as a Calling, Not a Costume

A seasoned diplomat, Ambassador Matli continues to approach diplomacy with reverence, discipline, and foresight, viewing it not as status, but as service to present and future generations of Africa.

Her commitment remains unwavering:
to serve Africa through tests to come, with courage, clarity, and conscience.

The Africa We Want — In Action

The Iconic Global Summit & Honours 2025 was not performative. It was declarative.

It declared that: