By any measure, the appointment is a milestone. But for Lumbie Mlambo, being named a Her Power Global Ambassador is less about recognition than responsibility
Mlambo, whose work has focused on advancing women’s leadership and community development through JB Dondolo, has been selected as an ambassador for the Her Power Global program, an initiative of Alibaba Group aimed at expanding opportunities for women entrepreneurs around the world.
In announcing the appointment, Mlambo described the role as a validation of years spent working alongside women seeking greater access to leadership, business networks and economic opportunity. Yet she framed the recognition as a beginning rather than an achievement.
“This isn’t just a title,” she said. “It is a launchpad to elevate women leaders to heights they haven’t yet imagined.”
The Her Power Global initiative is designed to provide women in business with access to training, mentorship and international networks that can help them grow their enterprises beyond local markets. As an ambassador, Mlambo will serve as a link between the program and women entrepreneurs seeking to expand their reach and strengthen their leadership capacity.
Her focus, she said, will be on helping women founders, chief executives and senior corporate leaders gain access to resources often concentrated in global business centers but less readily available to entrepreneurs working in emerging markets.
The announcement comes at a time when women-owned businesses continue to face barriers to financing, mentorship and international market access despite growing participation in entrepreneurship worldwide. Programs such as Her Power Global seek to narrow those gaps by creating communities where business leaders can exchange knowledge, build partnerships and learn from one another’s experiences.
Mlambo is now encouraging women business leaders to apply for the upcoming cohort, describing it as an opportunity not only to sharpen business skills but also to join a network of peers committed to growth and innovation.
“Let’s turn raw ambition into global impact,” she said.
Applications for the cohort close on July 10, 2026, and participation is expected to be highly competitive due to the limited number of available places.
For the ever humble Lumbie Mlambo, however, the broader objective extends beyond enrollment figures.
The ambition is to cultivate a generation of women leaders equipped to compete, collaborate and succeed on a global stage.
In that sense, the appointment represents more than an individual honor. It reflects a growing effort to place women entrepreneurs at the center of conversations about economic growth, innovation and leadership in the 21st century.