You don’t just go into a meeting cold, you talk to people beforehand, try to build a consensus before you go into the boardroom, so that you’ve got allies who you have already warmed up, who have had time to think about what you want to say and are on your side.”Amin Rajan, who has been a mentor for 15 years, says that most of his mentees are men “It is male-dominated because most chief executives are men. “The environment is so dominated by men that it’s often difficult for women to get the complete picture. One example is in presentations – some men still find that a woman forcefully arguing her point causes added tension. If a woman can be sensitive to that interpersonal environment and be aware of potential problems before going into the meeting it gives an added dimension of understanding.”Although some women, like Stanley, will find unofficial mentors, Focus is keen for companies to start implementing formal schemes, with external mentors being paid for their services.

“Women are particularly under-represented at senior management levels in information technology and that’s a shame,” he says. “There is a lot of good-quality resource that is being under-used.” He says much of his work with women in his field – some of whom have subsequently reached senior positions – involves workplace relationships. And it’s non-competitive, because they don’t work for your company.” Stanley’s mentors, senior executives in her field, are unpaid and she works with them informally. “There are very few companies with effective formal mentoring programmes,” she says. “A mentoring relationship has to evolve – you have to develop an affinity.”One of Stanley’s mentors is Michael Harrison, chairman and managing director of IT firm Cedardata. Men are much more cut and dried about things, and see things in black and white, while women tend to see shades of grey.”A mentor, she says, can also provide a neutral viewpoint. “It’s good to get a detached point of view, and you can tap into a load of experience that you don’t have.

“Information technology is very male dominated,” she explains. “It’s very helpful to get a male perspective on problems and issues. Focus Central London, the training and enterprise council for the capital, is trying to raise awareness of mentoring and wants more companies to take it up – particularly for women.
Some women executives already find their male mentors invaluable. Barbara Stanley, 40, is the European market development director for Infomix, one of the world’s leading database companies. The mentoring system is well established among male executives; the female network is much less developed, in part because there are so few women in top, executive positions. Male “mentors” are becoming a valuable accessory in today’s aggressive work environment.

Mentors, normally senior executives in a similar field to their mentees, work on a one-to-one basis, providing confidential advice and help with problem-solving. But who are great women supposed to lean on? Often isolated in male-dominated workplaces, banging their heads on the glass ceiling, ambitious women are beginning to try to turn the tables by getting a man on their side. I design very close to my heart and it’s great to see people realise they can wear fashionable clothes that come from them My dream is to show in London, Paris or Milan. People get a very negative impression of South Africa and I’d like to change that.”. BEHIND EVERY great man there has to be a great woman, which is all well and good. So many of the clothes worn here by black people are really West African, made from Kente cloth: I want to introduce something new and represent the Zulu, Sotho, Tswana, and Xhosa traditions.”Clients include pop group MarcAlex and the King of Bafokeng, Lebone Molotlegi-Tswana. We’ve see it in sport, now it is our turn.”Apartheid made people very conventional, it was the suit and tie.

It’s a free country now and people must feel free in their clothes. Since graduating from Johannesburg’s Kirsten Academy of fashion, she has one several awards and is a pioneer of the ‘new’ South African fashion”The social and political changes haven’t really been reflected yet in fashion, so I want to be the person to bring revolution into fashion. My own style is very classical and I love the Italian look, but I have also designed a range of rap clothing for the Proud Brother label.”I think the exposure will be very good, and we must be in contact with what’s happening internationally – but we must design for our own environment and our own people.”INEELING KAZINDAMA, 24, comes from Botswana. Maybe black students don’t go to good schools.”I have done five outfits, inspired by the Ndebele people of Zimbabwe, with the bright, bold fabrics with which those women decorate their houses. There aren’t many black designers and this event is predominantly white, but then there are more white students at the colleges. They’re not looking to the growing market of incredible young black women who are searching for an identity in terms of fashion.