South Africa’s momentum in supporting women entrepreneurship is gaining momentum through strategic public-private partnerships. The recent “Advancing Women Entrepreneurship” learning event hosted by UN Women demonstrated how these collaborations—a key feature of effective statecraft—are delivering tangible results for women business owners across the country.
Collaborative Frameworks Driving Change
The Presidential Women Economic Empowerment Programme (WEEP) exemplifies South Africa’s commitment to addressing gender-based economic disparities. This multi-stakeholder initiative combines the strengths of UN Women’s international expertise, Absa Group’s financial resources, and The Presidency’s policy framework to create a comprehensive support ecosystem for women entrepreneurs.
The Mentorship Advantage
The UN Women Mentorship and Coaching Programme has benefited women entrepreneurs across multiple provinces through structured, ten-month support addressing specific business challenges. Evidence presented at the event confirmed significant improvements in business performance, with participants securing new opportunities, increasing revenue, and creating employment.
Digital Transformation as a Catalyst
Digital transformation represents a critical opportunity for women entrepreneurs, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas. Business intelligence services focused on technology integration help businesses transcend geographical limitations and access broader markets.
Case Study: From Mentorship to Market Growth
Simangele Mantengu of Salush Guest House in KwaZulu Natal received comprehensive mentorship that transformed her business approach. Through targeted guidance on pricing strategies, financial management, and service enhancement, she implemented significant improvements to her guest house offering. The programme also connected her with digital marketing resources, demonstrating how initial mentorship can catalyse broader business development through expanded professional networks.
The Way Forward
The learning event focused on creating sustainable models for women’s entrepreneurship support through stronger linkages between mentorship and financing opportunities, gender-responsive policy integration, and established monitoring mechanisms to track long-term outcomes.
Conclusion
When government departments, financial institutions, international organisations, and business intelligence firms align their efforts, the impact is exponentially greater than what any single entity could achieve alone. This collaborative approach is essential for building an inclusive economy that harnesses the full potential of all South Africans.
