Why women mentoring women is essential for workplace success

The importance of women in the workplace, not just because of the so-called softer skills they bring into an often testosterone-filled environment, but also because they nurture young talent, cannot be overstated.

Many studies cite the benefits of women mentoring other women. Others note that having more women in leadership brings diverse perspectives, improves decision-making, enhances organisational performance, and fosters a more inclusive environment.

As Tamra Veley, MD of Corporate Image, puts it, “mentorship between women in the workplace is not, nor should it ever be – about ticking a diversity box – it’s about building capability, confidence, and continuity”.

Dominique Rossouw, a social worker, has experienced this first-hand. She says women bosses “were able to guide me in terms of the way that they would do things as social workers and explain how they've experienced things through their career,” she says.

Rossouw adds that her mentors provided tangible input rather than dictating. This is something she emulates, especially when real-life situations don’t align with textbook examples.

“I like to share my successes, the mistakes that I've made, and what I could do differently in certain situations as opposed to just following a specific structure of rules or guidelines that we get taught in school,” she says.

 Veley notes that “when women support other women, especially across generations and career stages, they help remove the guesswork from navigating ambition in environments that may not always be designed with them in mind”.

Dr Sane Ngidi, 2025/26 president of the Society for Industrial & Organisational Psychology South Africa, says there have been women who have played a key role in her career development. When women see others like them in senior roles, they can imagine breaking through the glass ceiling, and mentorship gives rising talent the chance to learn directly from those who’ve already done it, she says.

Jacqui Muller, a PhD candidate in Computer Science, industry coordinator for iTversity Belgium Campus, and founder of her artificial intelligence consultancy, says she has never felt like she was “just another employee” thanks to the women who instilled leadership in her.

Muller recalls that these women led with a nurturing ethos. Yet, “they were very goal-driven, outcomes-driven, making sure we get to the right targets. They had very analytical minds,” she says.

The strong leaders Muller worked with each brought specific skills – strategy, numbers, and project management – and combined them to build stronger teams. “One of my mentors was able to so diplomatically tell other colleagues and even clients that they could show themselves out that these men even asked for directions,” she says.

A woman mentor doesn’t need to be “soft” to be supportive, Veley notes. “Some of the most effective women leaders are strategic thinkers and tough decision-makers – but they don’t lose sight of empathy,” she says.

 For Muller, one key takeaway was to be a nurturing leader. “It's something that I try to instil in a lot of young IT developers… When I mentor students, I try to encourage them to be who they are, be strong, be goal-driven, be outcomes-based, but if you're going through stuff, go through stuff. Take the time off, because you're not doing anybody any good by trying to push through,” she says.

Women mentors “understand that being seen, heard, and fairly assessed matters deeply, especially for women whose contributions are sometimes underestimated, ignored, or misread. The mentor-mentee relationship allows room for honest reflection, practical advice, and occasionally, much-needed perspective,” says Veley.

The importance of looking after yourself is something Muller, sadly, learnt the hard way when her mom was very ill, and a senior female leader firmly told her to take time off.

Muller says working with different personalities taught her “a lot about how powerful we can be in terms of our skill sets, in terms of our ability to control emotion and sometimes just let emotion be”. It is this sort of empathetic leader she strives to be.

It is crucial, says Veley, that women avoid stereotyping one another or being stereotyped themselves. “A woman on the rise doesn’t need a hero; she needs a real person who’s been there and is willing to show her the terrain, and tell her the truth in performance management,” she explains.

Samantha Perry, MD of SJ Perry PR and co-founder of Women in Tech ZA, agrees. “Some of the most important bosses that I've had over the course of my 30-year career were women who not only gave me a chance but also showed me how to do it and showed me how to meet them and often exceed them in my profession.”

Muller adds that having women deeply involved in the workplace also develops soft skills, which are vital in an age of AI.

“I don't think that the kind of people we have in IT classes nowadays are very in tune with their EQ, and unfortunately, what we've seen as well is that it's a skill that is definitely lacking. This has become an issue that many industry partners and graduate program coordinators have raised, and some efforts are being put in place to polish these skills, too,” Muller says.

 Women mentoring women is not about exclusion, says Veley. “Strong, self-confident men can mentor just as well in an ideal cultural environment. But it’s true to say that when one woman leads well, she shows others-everyone-how it’s done. And when she brings others with her, the effect is measurable,” she says.

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