In a business world often defined by bold gestures and louder voices, Bertina Engelbrecht stands apart, not because she demands the spotlight, but because she quietly earns it. As the first Black woman to head a listed retail group in South Africa, Engelbrecht is not only making history, she is reshaping the narrative of power, performance, and representation in the country’s boardrooms.
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Now serving as CEO of the Clicks Group, one of South Africa’s most dominant health and beauty retailers, Engelbrecht’s leadership reflects calm confidence, unwavering principle, and a deep commitment to sustainable, inclusive growth.
Leading with Precision and Purpose
Bertina Engelbrecht’s rise to the top has been anything but accidental. Trained in law, with both BProc and LLM degrees, she built her early career across sectors, from human resources at Sea Harvest to strategic roles at Shell SA, where she led HR operations across sub-Saharan Africa.
She joined Clicks in 2006 as Group HR Director, and by the time she was appointed CEO in 2022, she had already become one of the company’s most influential executives, quietly shaping its culture, resilience, and people strategy for over 15 years. Her ascent to the CEO role wasn’t just a promotion, it was the culmination of years of strategic groundwork and principled leadership.
Strength in Results
Under Engelbrecht’s leadership, the Clicks Group has continued its upward trajectory. The company reported strong financial growth in the last fiscal year, with revenue climbing to over R48 billion and profits rising steadily. Market confidence remains high, with Clicks’ market capitalization exceeding R90 billion, reinforcing the group’s position as a dominant player in South Africa’s retail and pharmaceutical landscape.
But beyond the numbers lies a deeper transformation: Engelbrecht is embedding purpose into performance. She has led expansions into underserved communities, strengthened pharmacy access, and continued to invest in a workforce that reflects the diversity of South Africa itself.
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Feminine Leadership, Real Impact
What makes Engelbrecht’s leadership especially significant is how she embodies feminine strength, not as a counterpoint to executive rigor, but as its foundation. She brings clarity without arrogance, steadiness without rigidity, and ambition without self-promotion.
Her approach to diversity is not driven by policy mandates but by a clear belief in the power of representation. Within Clicks, she has championed inclusive hiring, nurtured leadership pipelines for women, and led corporate conversations around equity with authenticity. Her visibility matters not because she seeks to represent all women, but because she proves what is possible when women lead unapologetically.
A Legacy in Motion
Beyond Clicks, Engelbrecht serves as an important voice in South Africa’s broader business landscape. She has become a touchstone for ethical leadership and is regularly recognized for her contribution to executive diversity and inclusive governance. Her 2023 recognition as one of RMB’s “Africa’s Fearless Thinkers” was not just an accolade, it was a reaffirmation of her role as one of the continent’s most quietly powerful leaders.
In a time when corporate leadership is being called to evolve, Bertina Engelbrecht stands as an example of what that evolution looks like, thoughtful, deliberate, inclusive, and deeply effective.
She is not simply leading a company. She is shaping a more just and visionary model of business leadership, one that reflects both the strength and stillness of women who know exactly where they’re going.
