In 2009, Refilwe Ledwaba, a qualified helicopter and airplane pilot, founded the Southern African Women in Aviation and Aerospace Industry (SAWIA). Although the organisation was formally established in 2009 and registered as a non-profit in 2011, the concept of SAWIA originated in 2007. One of SAWIA’s key initiatives was the creation of the Girls Fly Programme in Africa (GFPA). The success of the GFPA was so remarkable that it became an independent entity, resulting in the deregistration of SAWIA. As part of a rebranding strategy, the organisation officially changed its name from the GFPA Foundation to Girls Fly Africa in the final quarter of 2022.