Sarah Waller

What does your company do?

South Africa's most intentional female networking platform, combatting loneliness and enhancing professional connectivity. We are addressing two core pain points that women face at various stages in their lives: loneliness and access to professional networking spaces. Diving deeper into these core pain point we aim to provide solutions to the following: A lack of safe spaces for woman to meet up, feelings of isolation and loneliness, fear of being rejected in business, lacking confidence in a professional environment, competitive nature of success overshadowing support, unknowledgeable of how to benefit from networks and networking being seen as as a space for “established, elitest and rich women”. Our core service offering consists of frequent in-person events that vary in price, activity, and intention. All of which include facilitated networking. Our sub-services offers a number of managed WhatsApp groups to encourage connectivity. Our practical actions are immediately solving the problem of loneliness and isolation: Providing intentional online spaces to break the ice, curating admin-free safe events to nurture relationships, creating an inclusive, non-judgemental energy that welcomes women from all walks of life, actively hosting events to encourage intentional connection, encouraging women to support and uplift each other and educating women to feel more confident in business. Beyond our in-person events, the frequency of events is a key component that allows for member retention and increases the likelihood of forming a deeper connection. We believe the more women you know, the more likely you are to work with a woman. The message we convey through our brand and into our community is one of inclusivity; we are breaking down barriers and challenging stereotypes and creating spaces for all South African women to come together regardless of age, race or background. Creating an equal space amongst women.

What is your biggest success?

Each time a member of our community shares their story of how Socially Gathering has impacted their lives, it is a highlight for me. I want to share two impactful stories from community members: The first exemplifies the power of our friendship-focused initiatives. Two ladies met at a promenade walk in December 2023. At our February 2024 walk, they arrived together. I remember thinking, "How sweet, they have come together." It turned out they had formed such a strong bond that they now live together as roommates. The second story highlights the "She Means Business" aspect. A woman who works as a plastic surgeon specialising in treating children who have experienced physical abuse in war zones attended a business networking dinner. At the dinner, she connected with another member who facilitated a meeting with government representatives for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in South Africa. This connection enabled the surgeon to pitch a proposal to provide the same aid in South Africa. Personally, my greatest highlight has been the profound positive impact this community has had on my own life. The growth in confidence, the meaningful relationships I have forged, the significant improvement in my mental health, and the deep sense of purpose that comes from connecting with a diverse range of women in South Africa have been truly transformative.

What has been your biggest hurdle?

One of the biggest hurdles I’ve faced while building Socially Gathering has been finding the balance between monetisation, ticket costs, and inclusivity. A core mission of Socially Gathering is to create spaces where women from all walks of life can connect and grow, and in South Africa, that means catering to a diverse economic demographic. The challenge lies in making our platform profitable while ensuring that access to our events remains open to women from various income backgrounds. To address this, we’ve hosted free monthly events, secured sponsors to help reduce ticket costs, and introduced tiered pricing for our events. These strategies allow us to maintain financial sustainability while ensuring that our events are accessible to as many women as possible, regardless of their economic status. It’s been a delicate balancing act, but one that aligns with our mission to empower all women in our community.