About SAWITU

Welcome to our support group for South African women in The United States and Canada.

Sawitu started as a Facebook group that was founded in 2017 by Antonet Lombard De Ridder and grew into the movement that it is today.

In April 2021 our online magazine, SAWITU Essentials was launched, later, our non-profit organization, several programs to assist members and yearly events.

Have a look at our story of how SAWITU was born on our blog here

Living in a foreign land, far from everything and everyone close to her heart, the idea for SAWITU was born because the heart of a woman had a yearning for a sense of belonging, community, and support. Antonet Lombard De Ridder created the Facebook group called SAWITU (South African Women in the United States and Canada) on 31 October 2017.

SAWITU is now a family of sisters, all with the same yearning deep within them.

What started with one woman who was the only member on the Facebook group for the first week, but posted anyway, has grown into a family of almost 6000 sisters, with the number growing daily

We laugh together, cry together, share recipes, adventures, sorrows, worries, advice and much much more.We give each other a helping hand. When one falls, the others jump in and help ‘stoot die wa deur die drif.’ This band of sisters stands up for each other and has become a Stand-in-Family for each other, as well as each others’ children. We support members’ entrepreneurial visions and assist in building their success. When grieving, we send a little packet of encouragement. And when necessary, we make sure that little precious bundle has everything it needs.

We reach out to each other, we pray together, we rejoice together. And, at times, we are angry together. We celebrate our uniqueness. But most of all, we share our mutual culture because we all have the same yearning in our hearts.

As South Africans we grew up with the saying, ‘bloed kruip waar water nie loop nie.’ We learned through SAWITU that here in North America, far from the southern tip of Africa, that same water can turn into blood.

SAWITU is continuously growing, with new members joining daily, and developing with events and programs. A support system like no other.