Leading with heart: the women powering Inospace

August is Women’s Month in South Africa, a time to recognise and honour the women who shape businesses, lead communities and drive meaningful change, both visible and unseen. At Inospace, we don’t just celebrate these women. We work alongside them.

Whether they’re guiding strategy in the boardroom, managing daily operations, or building something from the ground up in one of our parks, these women lead with strength, purpose and care. Their leadership is often quiet, but always powerful. It continues to influence the culture and future of our business.

The quiet strength behind women’s leadership

Being a woman in the working world today brings both reward and challenge. Many still face greater pressure to prove themselves, often while balancing professional demands with personal and family responsibilities. While progress has been made, gendered assumptions persist, and navigating them requires resilience, intention and support.

At the same time, women bring a deeply human approach to leadership. They connect, they uplift, and they create space for others to succeed. That’s what we see at Inospace, and it’s something we’re proud to support every day.

Inside Inospace: leadership with heart

One of the women shaping our business is Jodi Sher, Inospace’s Chief Marketing and Product Officer. For her, leadership is not about hierarchy. It’s about how you show up for your team, your business and yourself.

“I care as much about people and culture as I do about results,” she says. “And for me, they go hand in hand.”

Working in a high-growth environment has shaped her approach. It has shown her that ambition and empathy are not opposites. They are necessary counterparts. “There’s no difference between how I lead and how I live. I try to be kind, honest and respectful in everything I do,” she says. “People connect with people. When we remember that, we create the kind of trust that allows others to grow.”

Making impact from the inside out

Lucia Makgobane Kgatla is the founder of Bravery, based at our Allandale Exchange logistics park in Midrand. Her business began with a powerful vision: to change the conversation around menstrual health. Having grown up in Limpopo’s Ga-Femane village, she saw the stigma and silence many girls faced. Her response was to create Bravery Herbal Sanitary Pads, a product rooted in healing, dignity and economic opportunity.

“Being a woman in business has been both humbling and empowering,” Lucia says. “There have been challenges, but every struggle has shaped me into a stronger entrepreneur.”

Lucia sees Inospace as more than a space provider. “We feel supported and seen here,” she says. “The environment helps us grow professionally while staying connected to our purpose.”

Her advice to other women is simple but bold: “Don’t wait for perfect. Start with what you have, even if it’s just a vision and a prayer.”

Purpose and perseverance

In Cape Town, at our flagship Island Works logistics park, Dalit Shekel leads Relate Bracelets, a business focused on creating social impact through meaningful work. Her journey as a woman in business has required equal parts courage and care.

“I’ve had to give myself a lot of grace,” she says. “Women can be incredibly hard on themselves. But I’ve learned that mindset is everything. You teach people how to treat you.”

Dalit’s work is grounded in purpose, but it’s the support around her that helps her keep showing up. “From the moment we moved into Inospace, we felt we belonged. Having a strong, well-run space gives our team the foundation we need to thrive.”

Her advice? “Let go of perfection. It’s going to be messy. But if it’s your calling, it will be worth it.”

She lives by a powerful reminder: “The grass is greener where you water it.”

Celebrating women, creating space

Women’s Month is not just about recognition, it’s about creating space, literally and figuratively, for women to thrive. That means designing environments where women are trusted to lead, supported to grow and encouraged to show up fully as themselves.

At Inospace, that commitment runs through everything we do. Whether it’s through inclusive leadership or a culture of care, we remain focused on uplifting the women who power our business from the inside out.

To the women of Inospace, in our team, in our parks and in our wider community, thank you. We see you and we celebrate you.

You are not just part of our story. You are the reason it exists.

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