From legal briefs to building communities, Savannah Cozzi is a Johannesburg-based high-flyer making waves in education and women's empowerment. By profession, she’s an attorney; by passion, she’s the executive director and co-founder of the Education Outreach Foundation, committed to providing educational opportunities to under-resourced communities. But that’s just one side of this multifaceted go-getter. She caught our attention with Socially Gathering, a buzzing female networking platform and community that’s quickly become the go-to for over 25,000 women across South Africa.
The idea for Socially Gathering sparked when her co-founder, Sarah Waller, returned to Cape Town after years abroad and found herself missing meaningful connections. What started as a simple TikTok callout for a friend quickly grew into a full-fledged community of women eager to connect. Cozzi, never one to shy away from a challenge, joined forces and expanded the platform, reinforcing her belief in the importance of in-person connections for building supportive, empowering relationships.
Cozzi’s energy is infectious, and her knack for turning small ideas into big realities is nothing short of inspiring. Whether she’s teaching a barre class [barre is a fitness workout inspired by ballet, incorporating elements from Pilates, yoga, and strength training], brainstorming the next big event, or trying out a new restaurant with friends, Cozzi’s approach to life is all about bringing people together.
"Socially Gathering has been built from the needs and wants of women to empower, support each other, and grow together, and that is why we believe community is so important."
What inspired you to start Socially Gathering, and why do you believe community building is crucial for women today?
Socially Gathering grew from the desire and need of my co-founder, Sarah Waller. Having worked abroad for three years, she decided to move back home to South Africa. However, this prospect became daunting to her. The vast majority of her friends had moved away, the dynamic of Cape Town had changed, and she became anxious about the idea of making new friends. Through an unexplainable urge, she made the bold move and took to TikTok to ask if anyone was struggling to make friends in Cape Town, and if anyone would be brave enough to join her for a [Seapoint] promanade walk. The response was overwhelming. Hundreds of messages and stories of loneliness were the trigger that set Socially Gathering – Finding Female Friends into action. Within two months, we had over 1,500 women on our WhatsApp groups.
Soon afterwards, Sarah and I made the connection, and through celebrating each other's achievements, a conversation of a partnership emerged. I joined her in early 2024, bringing innovative ideas to Socially Gathering’s expansion. The new focus would be on connecting women in the professional space, and soon, the second phase of Socially Gathering – She Means Business, was born. Socially Gathering has been built from the needs and wants of women to empower, support each other, and grow together, and that is why we believe community is so important. It builds a sense of belonging and a sense of belief that there is enough room for everyone to succeed and thrive. We are changing the narrative and making female networking the norm.
After Socially Gathering took off in Cape Town, what prompted you to launch it in Johannesburg?
The five million requests, can I say that? Jokes aside, to live out our vision of being the best female networking platform in South Africa, we would love (and need) to be in every corner of the country, so the expansion was out of a need to reach more women and host more in-person gatherings.
What unique elements do you incorporate into your events to ensure Socially Gathering provides a fun, engaging, and supportive environment for women to connect?
What differentiates us is that we are incredibly intentional. We always think about how can we be so vastly different from what is offered at other spaces and try our best to provide unique settings for growth. Have you ever been to a panel discussion where, halfway through the event, they change the panel and choose random people from the audience to form the panel? Or have you ever been to an event where you have to compliment someone on something you learnt about them even though you only met maybe two hours ago?
We challenge women to get out of their comfort zone and be courageous! It also helps to understand what the community wants and needs from our events so we are always engaging with them and then adding our spin onto these events.
With so much of our interaction happening online, why do you think it's important for women to come together in person? How does Socially Gathering bridge the gap between online relationships and offline connections?
In-person gatherings allow for deeper connections, a space for women to be more vulnerable than on text, and a space for trust-building and real, joyous engagements. While we have our very active WhatsApp and Telegram groups that foster online engagements, knowledge sharing, recommendations, and so on, the value of in-person connection is priceless! We would love to expand our in-person events, but at this stage, Sarah and I are building this part-time, so our time is somewhat limited...
Can you share a memorable story or example of how Socially Gathering’s focus on community building has profoundly impacted an individual or the group as a whole?
Recently, a woman at an event thanked me with tears in her eyes about how she's never felt so heard or seen before. I can't really explain how special the feeling is when someone thanks you with such sincerity and love. We have seen women meet in our community and then move into shared accommodation together, make friends they now see every second weekend, and be told how introductions at business networking have led to women pitching their businesses to investors. The stories of the impact of Social Gathering give us even more motivation to keep doing what we are doing!
What are your plans for expanding or evolving Socially Gathering in the future? Are there any new initiatives or areas of focus that you're particularly excited about?
Our plan is to make our vision a reality. Our foot is flat on the accelerator and we aren't stopping anytime soon. We would love to expand across the country. With that, we would love to consider some form of ambassadors' programme where women across South Africa are helping us foster these networking spaces. As we have recently launched the business networking side of Socially Gathering, we would also love to expand our offerings to give females in business the support they want and need.
"I love the welcoming nature of Joburg's people – everyone here is hustling and going after their dreams and everyone is keen to support you in yours."
Home is...
where your loved ones are, wherever that may be in the world!
Your favourite Joburg suburb, and why you choose it?
Morningside; it's my 'hood so I am probably biased.
What is a surprising thing people might learn about Joburg by having a conversation with you?
How rich in arts and culture this city is! From music festivals to art galleries to fashion, there is so much heritage and passion. As someone who moved to Joburg a couple of years back, I wasn't aware of this until I really immersed myself in the scene.
The most memorable meal you have eaten in Joburg?
As a foodie and avid restaurant-goer, this is such a tough one but I think a recent one I loved was The Terrace at Ground the Venue. If you check out my food page on Instagram, @thechefthatcantcook, you might get a gauge of my favourites.
What three things should a visitor not leave Joburg without seeing or experiencing?
Constitution Hill, Parkhurst 4th Avenue afternoon strolling and lunch, and if you can travel a couple hours out of Joburg to the Pilanesberg National Park to see the Big Five.
Your favourite Joburg author or favourite Joburg book?
I am currently reading African Artificial Intelligence by Dr Mark Nasila [Dr Nasila is a chief data and analytics officer at First National Bank Risk].
One song on your Joburg soundtrack that either is about Joburg or makes you think about this city?
Anything amapiano reminds me of Joburg. I love the song Mnike by Tyler ICU and Tumelo.za featuring DJ Maphorisa, Nandipha808, Ceeka RSA, and Tyron Dee.
If you could buy one Joburg building which would it be?
Maybe Hallmark House so I could go to The Marabi Club all the time and indulge in the city views?
If you were the Joburg mayor for one day (average tenure) what would you change?
Education, education, education. More time, money, and resources need to be invested in the silent education crisis that our city and country are facing.
Favourite Joburg label, and why?
There are so many incredible local brands that I am a fan of and every year I challenge myself to support local as much as I can! Some that I love at the moment: Style Rotate, Salome Range, Ellie Sport, and Raise The Barre's activewear.
What makes someone a Joburger?
A resilient, creative, dedicated and fun-loving human.
What do you love most about Joburg?
The welcoming nature of the people – everyone here is hustling and going after their dreams and everyone is keen to support you in yours.
What do you least like about Joburg?
Sometimes the dryness can really get the better of you – make sure to have lip gloss on at all times!
Your number-one tip for a first-time visitor to Joburg?
Try get in a mix of all Joburg has to offer, from sports to fashion, food and arts – plan your time here so you can get snapshots of it all.
One Joburg personality whom you would honour with the freedom of the city if you could, and why?
The heroes working in non-profits across Joburg, doing their work with so much passion and selflessness. I would like to honour them.
The perfect weekend in Joburg includes...
Dinner at one of Joburg's best restaurants, some form of physical activity and a coffee, a Socially Gathering event (duh!), and trying out something new.
Three words that describe this city
Electric, multicultural, and dynamic.
Check out some of our previous #MyJoburg interviews for more insights into the city:
#MyJoburg with Molly Roberts, ceramic artist and maker of special things
#MyJoburg with Hannelie Coetzee, artist and placemaker
#MyJoburg with Sthandiwe Kgoroge, actor
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