In a powerful keynote address at the Women Creating Wealth Summit, renowned humanitarian Graça Machel urged African women to move beyond the confines of informal sectors and small enterprises to become wealth creators for their families, communities, and nations.

A Call to Break Barriers

The summit, organised by the Graça Machel Trust (GMT), brought together over 200 women entrepreneurs, ecosystem builders, donors, and thought leaders from nine countries. It focused on breaking barriers and creating wealth through sectoral networks in finance, agribusiness, entrepreneurship, media, and energy, with plans to expand into technology.

Machel called for collective action to address systemic constraints. “No one is going to remove barriers alone,” she stated, encouraging those with sector-specific expertise to take the lead in identifying and overcoming challenges. She championed the African philosophy of solidarity, urging women to share both pain and success as a way to uplift society as a whole.

A Mindset Shift for Wealth Creation

Machel emphasised the need for a mindset shift among women, declaring, “The first thing which has to change is for us to believe that we have reasons to be wealthy.” She highlighted the unique perspective women bring to wealth creation, focusing on community benefit rather than individual gain.

Participants were encouraged to form meaningful connections, with Machel challenging them to bond with at least five other attendees, blending emotional and intellectual collaboration to drive lasting change. She also urged them to think beyond African boundaries, suggesting that women’s approaches to business could influence global practices.

Transforming Africa’s Economic Potential

Addressing Africa’s historical economic challenges, Machel called on women to become innovators in harnessing the continent’s rich resources for collective benefit. “We bring to the table a different way of doing things, which is transforming our societies,” she said, urging attendees to stand tall and represent millions of other women when they enter any room.

She also acknowledged the contributions of other prominent women leaders at the summit, including:

• HE Zanele Mbeki, founder of the Women’s Development Bank.
• Dr Tukiya Kankasa-Mabula, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Zambia.
• HE Sauda Msemo, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Tanzania.

Advocate Mojankunyane Gumbi, Special Adviser for Addressing Racism in the Workplace at the UN, and Dr Monique Nsanzabaganwa, Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, also lent their support.

A Vision for Equality

Machel concluded with a message of hope, envisioning a future where women are respected and accepted as equals. She encouraged participants to maintain their cultural identities while striving for excellence, declaring the summit part of the Graça Machel Trust’s ongoing efforts to transform the economic landscape for African women.

About the Women Creating Wealth Summit

The Women Creating Wealth (WCW) Summit, hosted by the Graça Machel Trust, is a platform dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs, breaking barriers, and fostering wealth creation through sectoral networks and collective action.

Press Release Submitted By

Company Name: Graça Machel Trust

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Graça Machel Inspires Women to Break Barriers and Create Wealth

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