The Transformation Legacy and Coface South Africa Empower Black Female Entrepreneurs through Financial Wellness

PRETORIA, South Africa, April 

The Transformation Legacy in collaboration with Coface South Africa hosted a Financial Wellness and Literacy Masterclass designed to equip Black female township-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with essential financial knowledge and business tools. This initiative is a key step in advancing financial empowerment and sustainability among South Africa’s township businesses.

Building on the success of the annual Female Township Entrepreneur Summit, which welcomed 100 female entrepreneurs, this masterclass focused on bridging the financial literacy gap that many female entrepreneurs face in their personal lives and business.

The female entrepreneurs walked away with deep, practical knowledge in areas such as:

• Financial Literacy: Understanding how to earn, spend, save, and invest wisely, grounded in the pillars of budgeting, debt management, goal-setting, and planning.

• Financial Wellness: Learning to develop the right mindset and financial habits needed to manage personal and business finances with discipline and purpose.

• Financial Growth: Discovering strategies to build consistent income, reduce financial anxiety, and grow both personal and business finances.

• Business Financing: Gaining clarity on separating personal and business finances, accessing funding, and reinvesting for long-term success.

• Building Generational Wealth: Learning how to turn business income into legacy wealth through intentional planning, saving, investing, and structured financial systems.

The day featured two inspiring speakers, Mandisa Mthembu a mental health and safeguarding expert, who opened the day with a powerful session on the emotional relationship women have with money. She explored the impact that financial stress has on our mental well-being, decision-making, and motivation. Through reflection and conversation, Mandisa helped the entrepreneurs understand how emotional triggers affect their financial habits and offered tools for building financial resilience. She remaindered the entrepreneurs that self-worth is not defined by financial status.

Mapitso Mphahlele a Chartered Business Accountant and experienced financial mentor, led a series of high-impact sessions focused on financial literacy, financial wellness, and business growth. She unpacked budgeting strategies, explained how to build a personal money system, and encouraged entrepreneurs to see their businesses as vehicles for long-term wealth creation. Mapitso shared actionable insights on financing strategies, growing a business sustainably, and developing the right disciplines for success, reminding us that financial transformation is 80% behaviour and 20% knowledge.

“We recognise that financial literacy is a critical component in the growth and sustainability of female township-based businesses, “Through this initiative, we aim to empower entrepreneurs with the financial skills and resources necessary to make informed business decisions, increase profitability, and ultimately contribute to economic transformation.” –  Sibusiso Raphekwane – CEO- The Transformation Legacy

This initiative is in alignment with The Transformation Legacy’s mission to Equip entrepreneurs with skills and tools for achieving business growth and creating generational wealth through education, mentorship, and capacity-building programmes. We want to ensure that female entrepreneurs are not just participants but active contributors to the economy by having the skills, knowledge, and networks to build sustainable, scalable businesses.

A Powerful Partnership with Coface South Africa

Coface South Africa is a key partner in this initiative, by investing in this masterclass, Coface South Africa is actively contributing to skills development and economic empowerment, ensuring that SMEs gain the necessary knowledge to make sound financial decisions that drive long-term sustainability.

“We are excited to partner with The Transformation Legacy in launching the Financial Wellness and Literacy Masterclass. This initiative reflects our commitment to empowering Black female township-based small and medium enterprises (SMEs). By providing essential financial knowledge and business tools, we aim to enhance financial literacy, support sustainable business growth, and foster long-term success within these communities. As a leading trade credit insurer, Coface South Africa plays a vital role in helping businesses better manage risks, which directly contributes to the financial well-being of businesses across the country. Through this partnership, we are not only contributing to the development of financial wellness but also reinforcing our commitment to advancing economic empowerment and creating inclusive opportunities for all South Africans.”  – Kavita Ramjee – Chief HR Officer – Coface South Africa

The Financial Wellness and Literacy Masterclass is just one of many initiatives driven by The Transformation Legacy to ensure that female entrepreneurs are empowered with information, actionable strategies and the confidence to lead their businesses into the future. With partners like Coface South Africa, we are building a new generation of financially resilient women who are shaping South Africa’s township economy, one legacy business at a time.