Who is The Vixen Programme for?

Women who want to be taken seriously in business — whether you're starting from scratch, already running an operation, or stepping out of corporate to build your own thing. It's not a beginners' workshop, and it's not a closed circle for people who already know everything. It's for women who want a sharper edge.

Who runs the programme?

Dianne Silva — MBA, owner of an insurance brokerage with over R1 billion under management, Commander of the Order of St John, and President of a global sports governing body. She has built businesses, turned broken organisations around, and held boardrooms her entire career.

How long does the programme run?

It depends on the format. The Vixen Audit is a single intensive engagement. The Cohort runs three to six months. One-on-one mentorship is typically a six- or twelve-month relationship. The Vixen Circle is for life.

For Women in Business

Be the most prepared person in the room.

Q: How much does it cost?

We don't publish fixed fees because we tailor the engagement to what you actually need. Get in touch for an introductory conversation — it's free, no pitch.

The Vixen Programme is a hands-on mentorship for women who don't want to be empowered — they want to be formidable. Built and led by Dianne Silva, a woman who's done it.

Apply For The Programme See The Formats

THE VIXEN PROMISE

By the time we're done with you

You'll negotiate harder. Price better. Read a balance sheet without flinching. Walk into a supplier meeting and not be talked over. Know when to push, and when to walk.

"Powerhouse is earned, not declared."

Why "Vixen"

A vixen is a female fox. Sharp. Resourceful. Hard to corner.

The word has been weaponised in unhelpful ways over the years. Reclaiming it is the whole point. This isn't a pastel-coloured women's empowerment circle. It isn't motivational posters or hugs in a hotel conference room.

It's mentorship for women who want a sharper edge — who want to be feared in a boardroom in the best possible way: prepared, formidable, hard to outflank.

If you wanted to be coached, there are coaches. The Vixen Programme is for women who want to be mentored — by someone who has actually been in the fight.

Who It's For

Three women we tend to take under our wing

You don't need to fit one of these boxes neatly. Most women see a bit of themselves in two of them.

Archetype 1

The Founder-in-the-Making

You have a real idea or a side hustle. You have the grit, but not the playbook. You don't yet know what you don't know about pricing, structuring, suppliers, or saying no. We give you the playbook.

Archetype 2

The Invisible Operator

You're already running a business — often inherited, often alongside a husband, brother or partner whose name is on the door. You know the work. You haven't yet been given the seat at the head of the table. We help you take it.

Archetype 3

The Second-Act Professional

You're a corporate woman ready to step out and build something of your own. You have skills, savings, ambition. But going from employee to principal is a different sport — and we're going to coach you through the rules.

What Gets Taught

The five pillars

This is the curriculum — what we cover whether you take the one-on-one path, the cohort, or the audit. We adapt the depth to your level. We don't water down the substance.

Reading the Numbers

Cash flow, margin, working capital, what a P&L is actually telling you. No woman should be running a business and outsourcing financial confidence to an accountant or a husband.

Negotiation & Presence

How to hold a room. How to ask for the price and not flinch. How to handle the moment when someone tries to bulldoze you. This is where lived experience earns its keep.

Building the Operation

Suppliers, systems, hiring your first person, firing your first person, the SOPs that let a business run without you in the chair every day. Operating muscle, not just inspiration.

Governance & Structure

Choosing the right entity, the basics of contracts, BB-BEE realities, when to bring in a board, when to fire one. The unsexy scaffolding that protects what you've built.

The Mental Game

Imposter syndrome. The lonely middle of building something. Dealing with men who don't take you seriously — and the trickier problem of women who don't either. The stuff nobody puts in a brochure.

How It Works

Four ways to be a Vixen

You pick the depth. We pick the rigour. All formats start with a free introductory conversation — no pitch, no obligation.

Tier 1 — Headline Offering

One-on-One Mentorship

A small number of women per year. Deep, personalised, fortnightly working sessions for six or twelve months. You bring the business; Dianne brings the years. This is the front-of-house product — premium, intentionally limited.

6 or 12 months Fortnightly sessions Limited slots

Tier 2 — Group Programme

The Vixen Cohort

Six to eight women, three to six months, mix of teaching and roundtable. Cheaper per head and the peer network you build with the other women in the room is half the value. Often the friendships outlast the programme by years.

3–6 months 6–8 women Includes Vixen Circle access

Tier 3 — Single Engagement

The Vixen Audit

One intensive engagement on your business. We look at everything — finances, ops, brand, people — and give you the unvarnished read on what to fix and in what order. Good entry point if you're not ready for a long engagement.

2–4 week sprint Full diagnostic 90-day action plan

Tier 4 — Alumnae Network

The Vixen Circle

Once you've been through the Programme, you're in for life. Quarterly gatherings, a private channel, introductions, deal flow, a place to bring the things you can't say in front of your team. The long game — and arguably the real product.

Lifetime Network & events Earned, not bought

Who Leads It

Dianne Silva

Dianne built her own insurance brokerage from scratch into an operation managing more than R1 billion in client assets. She's turned around organisations other people had given up on. She has spent two decades in boardrooms — running them, not decorating them.

She's an MBA, Commander of the Order of St John, and currently President of a global sports governing body. She is the woman friends call when they need an honest answer instead of a comfortable one.

The Vixen Programme is what she'd want for her younger self — a mentor who'd seen the road, knew where the potholes were, and was generous enough to share a map.

MBA
R1B+ portfolio managed
Order of St John (Commander)
Global sports body President
Multi-sector turnaround track record
20+ years at boardroom level

Common Questions

Before you reach out

If you don't see your question here, the introductory conversation is free. Ask it then.

Is this only for women?

Yes. The Vixen Programme is built specifically for women in business — the experiences, the obstacles, and the rooms we're talking about are particular to women. Multifox has plenty of other engagements that aren't gender-specific.

What's the difference between this and a business coach?

Coaches ask you questions. Mentors give you answers. The Vixen Programme is mentorship — Dianne tells you what worked, what didn't, where the landmines are, and what she'd do if she were sitting in your chair. You still make the calls. But you make them better informed.

I'm just starting out — am I too early?

Probably not. The Founder-in-the-Making archetype is exactly that — a woman with a real idea who hasn't yet built the business around it. Starting with the right scaffolding is far cheaper than dismantling the wrong one.

I've been running a business for years — am I too late?

No. Most of the women we work with already have a business. The work is sharpening what's there, plugging the gaps that have been quietly hurting margins for years, and giving you the language and the muscle to take the next step.

How much does it cost?

Fees scale with the format and the depth of the engagement, and we tailor proposals after the introductory conversation. The Audit is the most accessible entry point. The one-on-one mentorship is the premium offering. Get in touch and we'll talk through what makes sense.

What does "applying" actually involve?

A short conversation. We're not after a CV or an essay. We want to know what you're trying to build, where you're stuck, and what would make this worth your while. If we're a fit, we'll say so. If we're not, we'll tell you that too — and often point you somewhere better.