Q: What inspired you to start Socially Gathering?

It came from a need of my own - I had been travelling on and off between Cape Town and Indonesia, and when I moved back to Cape Town for good, everyone else had moved away. I was overwhelmed that I wouldn't have anyone to connect with, and I was so scared of isolation and not having a community, so I decided to put myself out there and look for other women who felt the same way, who felt that they were missing that friend element in their life. I started this movement because I wanted friends, and it continued because I saw how much demand there was for other women needing genuine friendships and connections.

Q: What are your top three tips for building and strengthening a meaningful network?

You've got to approach networking with authenticity and know why you're doing it, whether it's making business connections or making friendships. Building meaningful connections with others must be based on a true desire for connection – believe me, it’s very obvious when people are not genuine in trying to form true bonds. The second tip is to think about how your friendship, or your business connection is going to benefit the other person before you think of how it's going to benefit you because that also allows you to go in there. Whether you're going into a professional space or looking for friendships, you've got to make sure that you are giving as much as you're getting back from that person. Finally, just have fun with it. People put a lot of pressure on networking and building connections that they take it too seriously, and they don't remember that it’s about creating a connection with another person – if you get it right, it can be cherished forever.

Q: What advice would you give to women looking to women looking to create authentic connections in a world that often feels disciplined?

I think that it's so ironic that in a world where we focus so heavily on an aspect of social media, so much of the social part has been taken away from it, and now it's just a media part of it. I always encourage ladies to take a step back from connecting online and to focus their energy on connecting offline. We have a Socially Gathering WhatsApp group that is a place to break the ice, but the real connection and nurturing relationship happens when you're in person because that's when you can feel someone's energy. 

Q: What are three ways to get out of your comfort zone?

If you're looking to get out of your comfort zone, I always recommend that if you're coming to an event, or if you're going to try and network at a space, arrive a little bit earlier as it gives you time to get the lay of the land. Another tip is to replace your phone with a beverage. Often, our immediate response when entering a new space where you’re not comfortable is to look busy and distracted but that immediately blocks you off from someone and someone connecting with you. If you replace your phone with a coffee, and you can have a little sip here and there, then you feel like you've got something to comfort you, but you're not cutting yourself off from someone else. My third tip is to give yourself a little bit of grace. If you know that you're an introvert and that you're doing something a little bit overwhelming is a step in the right direction, and you turning up, even if you show up and realise that it isn’t for you, at least you've come and you've taken the first step. Don't put too much pressure on yourself from the get-go and realise that there are lots of little steps to take before you’ll be totally comfortable in these situations.

Q: What are some creative or unexpected ways beyond just traditional meet-ups or events to meet new people?

I would suggest starting with the community that you have around you. We often forget about our immediate circles when we're trying to expand our networks because we think that we have to look for something completely new. Our immediate circles include acquaintances, family, colleagues etc and it’s as simple as asking the person next to you “Hi, how are you? What do you do?” or something along those lines. It’s the best way to connect with new people without having to go somewhere new. The same being said while you're travelling, if you sit on a plane and you have your headphones on, you're missing out on such a good connection, because you know that people who are travelling have got something different about them. Once I reached out to a creator on TikTok who I thought was really cool so I messaged her saying that I thought she was cool, and I loved the restaurant reviews that she did and asked if I could experience it with her. 

Q: Can you give us some tips for navigating rejection when trying to build friendships?

The first thing to remember is that it's not about you. We need to remember that as adults, finding friendships and making connections is very different to how you would as a child, and I think we naturally just compare the two, because the last time you were forced to make friends was when you were a kid. We know ourselves much better than we did as kids, so we get to stand on what we want from a friendship and accept that you won’t gel with everyone you meet.

The other thing I’d like to highlight is that just because they’ve said no once, doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be no. Continue being kind and pleasant towards that person because you don’t know if they will pop up in your life again or whether things will work out better for you to connect with them. Don’t give up on the connection just because you’ve hit a bump in the road. 

Q: What are your go-to ways to break the ice when you meet new people?

My favourite way is to look at them externally for a second and to link something that relates to you. If you've got the same pair of leggings, if you like their earrings, if you think that the hair is done a cool way, just go straight in for the compliment. Don't just state the obvious though, try to include something that starts the conversation to learn a little bit more about them. Another way is to bring a friend and use them as a little pawn in your game. It makes it easier to go up to someone and introduce yourself because it just creates a more dynamic space for you to be able to engage with that person. 

Q: How do you turn casual acquaintances into real meaningful friendships?

When you're looking to turn an acquaintance into a meaningful friendship, it takes work, and I think a lot of us disregard that, we don't look at friendships as seriously as we would a romantic relationship, but in all honesty, it's the same thing, if not more important. With a friendship, when you try to make it a little bit deeper and make it a bit more long-lasting, you have to know that it takes a lot of time and effort to nurture. It helps a lot if you go into building a friendship with that mentality and have that honesty and respect for the person who you want to be friends with. Communication is key and being honest with them about what you want and your availability really sets the foundation of a solid friendship.

Q: What's your vision for your Socially Gathering community in 2025?

The goal of Socially Gathering is to become the best female networking platform in South Africa. We focus on nurturing the friendship element of it because we believe that the more female connections you have, the higher the chance you have to work with another female. We use friendship and connection, and then we drive it into our secondary leg, She Means Business, which is where we focus on empowering women in business. We've got a lot of focus on She Means Business in 2025 because we've had a lot of responses from our community that they don't feel comfortable pitching themselves and looking for a mentor to help them grow professionally like teaching them about the real finances behind running a business for example. Our goal is to help and educate the women in our community to create a more supportive network for women in business, and then, as always, for our finding female friendships. We want to host as many events as we can and create a community that feels like it doesn't matter what kind of day you're having, you've got a group of women who are here to support you.

Find out about Socially Gathering’s next event by following them on Instagram and TikTok, and by checking out their website.