Championing Africa’s Women Entrepreneurs

Africa boasts the world’s highest proportion of women entrepreneurs, with over 25% of businesses started or run by women, according to OECD research. Women constitute 58% of Africa’s self-employed population, contributing an estimated 13% of Africa’s GDP. Despite this, women entrepreneurs face persistent challenges, including gender biases, pay gaps, and limited access to finance and technology.

The Graça Machel Trust (GMT), through its flagship Women Creating Wealth (WCW) programme, aims to address these barriers with the ‘Breaking Barriers, Building Wealth’ Summit, held from November 18th to 20th in Johannesburg, South Africa.

 

Empowering Women to Drive Systemic Change

The three-day summit brought together Africa’s women entrepreneurs to inspire investment in personal growth, turn obstacles into opportunities, and advocate for systemic changes in the business environment.

Theo Sowa, interim CEO of the Graça Machel Trust, emphasised the importance of collective action:

“The Graça Machel Trust champions a continent where women and youth are pillars of progress and are torchbearers of new African narratives. We believe in the power of collective action, bringing together people who share this vision to learn from each other.”

The WCW programme aims to support 10,000 women entrepreneurs, collectively generating $1 billion in value and creating 200,000 jobs across the continent over the next four years.

Key Features of the Summit

• Intergenerational Discussions: Covered topics such as economic transformation, access to markets, finance, and gender-lens investment.
• Interactive Panels and Keynote Speeches: Featured influential leaders and industry pioneers sharing insights and experiences.
• Presentations by Entrepreneurs: Lived experiences highlighted how challenges were overcome to achieve success.
• Networking Opportunities: Connected women entrepreneurs with investors, donors, and stakeholders in a collaborative, supportive environment.

Korkor Cudjoe, Senior Entrepreneurship Manager at GMT, elaborated:

“Guided by the vision of our founder, Mama Graça Machel, this summit is about solutions—scaling best practices to ensure women and youth entrepreneurs move beyond survival to create sustainable wealth.”

Driving Action for Women’s Economic Advancement

Hosted by Nozipho Tshabalala, CEO of The Conversation Strategists, the summit fostered collaboration and advocacy to unleash the economic power of women and youth. Discussions focused on building confidence, developing leadership skills, and empowering entrepreneurs to scale their businesses.

Sowa summarised:

“This summit offers a space for learning, advocacy, and action, with the ultimate aim of breaking barriers and enhancing participants’ capacity to grow their businesses sustainably.”

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Press Release Submitted By

Organisation: Graça Machel Trust
Total Words: 435

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