South African transgender activist, artist, and media personality Yaya Mavundla has been honored at the 2026 Mail & Guardian Power of Women Awards. Mavundla won in the Arts, Film & Media category, joining a host of women recognized for their contributions to South African society. This award affirms that transgender women belong in spaces celebrating women’s leadership and success.
For Mavundla, the award is more than a personal achievement; it highlights the exclusion of many transgender women from such spaces. “This recognition means a great deal to me, but I receive it with a sense of responsibility rather than simply celebration,” said Mavundla. She emphasized that visibility has never been about being seen for its own sake but about what becomes possible when historically marginalized people are allowed to enter, contribute, and lead.
The Mail & Guardian Power of Women initiative is an annual celebration of South African women across diverse sectors. It recognizes individual accomplishment, leadership, peer and public recognition, and a willingness to give back to society. Mavundla welcomed the recognition but warned against treating individual breakthroughs as evidence of meaningful inclusion.
Mavundla emphasized that being the first or only one in a room is not a flex but a call for urgency. “It should make us ask why it took this long, who is still missing from these spaces, and what we need to change so that the next transgender woman does not have to be the first,” she said. The real measure of progress is whether the door stays open behind them and whether institutions actively create space for different women and communities to participate and lead.
Mavundla has long advocated for transgender visibility through her work, including curating the Brave Beauties exhibition at Constitution Hill, which celebrates transgender women and gender-nonconforming people. She has also hosted events at Global Black Pride in Paris. Her recognition may inspire young transgender South Africans and encourage institutions to create more opportunities for inclusion.
Addressing debates about transgender inclusion in women’s spaces, Mavundla rejected the idea that recognizing transgender women comes at the expense of others. “Transgender women are not here to take [cisgender] women’s spaces in society. We are asking society to understand that there is room for all of us,” she said. The struggle for women’s dignity, safety, equality, and opportunity should not become a fight between women.
Other honourees in the Arts, Film & Media category included filmmaker Molatelo Bossman, Voice of Wits Programme Manager Lundi Khoisan Cavernelis, and producer Felicia Naiwa Sithebe. Mavundla hopes her recognition will encourage young transgender girls to see that they can belong in spaces previously denied to them.
Key points
- Yaya Mavundla wins 2026 Mail & Guardian Power of Women Award
- Mavundla advocates for greater trans inclusion in women's spaces
- Award recognizes Mavundla's contributions to arts, film, and media
