From first pitch to national movement - the right accountant as a power move

A vision for South African women - and the ambition to match it.

Sam Gqomo didn't start with a big budget. She started with a mission: to empower women and girls across South Africa through access, community, and opportunity. From that conviction she built Womandla Global Network - a platform that grew to include courses, a podcast, a directory, and annual fundraising events, expanding from Cape Town to Johannesburg.

Sam was accepted into the inaugural US Embassy Academy of Women Entrepreneurs Cape Town cohort - the very first in the country. In that programme, she immediately sought financial infrastructure. Her first implementation? Appointing the right accountant.

The moment she understood: credibility is financial.

When you're building a movement that depends on funders, corporate partners, and communities trusting you - your books are your credibility. They speak before you do in every pitch room, every grant application, every partnership conversation.

Through AWE, Sam connected with mentors who reinforced a truth many founders learn too late: the right financial foundation isn't a back-office function - it's a strategic asset. It's what makes funders say yes. It's what makes stakeholders feel safe investing in your vision.

She also partnered with fellow founder Asonele Kotu to run a foundation fundraiser - deepening her understanding of what board-ready financial governance looks like in practice. Two women growing their organisations in parallel, backed by the same financial partner.

Books that open doors. Financials that investors believe.

Awonke built the financial infrastructure Womandla required to operate, pitch, and scale credibly. Clean books. Structured financials. The kind of reporting that domestic and international funders expect before committing.

When Sam walked into pitch rooms, she walked in with numbers that told a coherent, compelling story about Womandla's sustainability and trajectory. The results were immediate: two pitches won for her marketing and communications consultancy - directly backed by financials that projected confidence.

Cape Town to Johannesburg. Startup to national movement.

Today Womandla operates nationally - courses, podcast, directory, and an annual gala hosted by Siv Ngesi alongside David Tlale. Sam has appeared on Somizi's reality show, been featured on eNCA and Africa Live, and built a profile that puts Womandla in rooms that matter.

Behind every media feature, every pitch won, every gala staged - a financial foundation that Dyantyi Chartered built from day one. Clean books. Credible financials. Funders with confidence.