I agree with this view. Convenors of such events have to consider who to invite to talk. They clearly don't think about the women mentioned even though they do whatever they do in the same way that men do whatever they do.
The selections are probably no more than a display of mental laziness. Topical as he was Pravin Gordhan doesn't really provide much in the way of insights.
Looking at the program I thought that I wouldn't really be interested, even if I was in Cape Town.