New TrailblazeHER Programme Advances Women-Led Innovation And ICT Business Development

The TrailblazeHER Programme is a three-month pilot, led and funded by Telkom in partnership with Saica ED, targeting 10 women-led technology enterprises based in Gauteng. The programme aims to be a high-impact intervention, responding to persistent opportunity gaps faced by women entrepreneurs in the ICT sector, particularly in areas of market access and business scalability.

Advancing women-led participation in ICT

At its core, TrailblazeHER aims to strengthen the capacity of women-owned ICT businesses to participate meaningfully in South Africa’s rapidly evolving ICT space. Through structured Enterprise and Supplier Development support, delivered in partnership with Saica ED, the programme provides participating MSMEs with targeted inputs focused on refining business development strategies, supporting scalability, and positioning MSMEs for long-term sustainability.

Combining technical business support with exposure to industry networks and commercial opportunities, the programme seeks to enable women-led ICT MSMEs to move beyond survival-oriented operations towards growth-driven and competitive business models. This approach aligns with Saica ED’s broader enterprise and supplier development philosophy, which prioritises capability building, sound financial management, and measurable impact.

A strategic first for Saica ED in the ICT space

With an established track record of supporting MSMEs across multiple sectors, Saica ED’s role in the TrailblazeHER Programme represents a strategic extension of its Enterprise and Supplier Development expertise into the ICT space through partnership with Telkom.

The programme’s focus on ICT reflects the growing importance of digital MSMEs as drivers of innovation, job creation, and economic inclusion. Over the three-month pilot period, participating MSMEs are supported to enhance their business development strategies, strengthen market positioning, and increase visibility within relevant industry ecosystems. This structured engagement is designed to improve readiness for partnerships, funding opportunities, and integration into formal value chains.

Saica ED affirms that partnerships with well-designed development initiatives such as TrailblazeHER can respond to the evolving needs of MSMEs and women entrepreneurs.

Through this programme, Telkom and Saica ED continue to position MSMEs as active contributors to economic growth, innovation, and inclusive transformation.