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The Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) has said that, connecting and strengthening partnerships with stakeholders across Africa will help accelerate the region’s socio economic landscape.
This was the submission of over 500 delegates at the AWIEF conference which ended in Cape Town, South Africa, recently with the theme ”Equity, impact and inclusive growth towards Agenda 2030 and a sustainable African future.”
AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Irene Ochem, said the conference resulted in numerous strategies that would have a dramatic impact on African business women and entrepreneurs
Ochem added that the conference created an avenue for government, businesses and investors to find lasting solution to the numerous roadblocks militating against the development of women-led businesses.
She listed some of the hurdles to include; gender stereotyping, difficulty in accessing finance, education, training, and the right market.
On her part, the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Patricia de Lille, pointed out that women make up more than 50 per cent of Africa’s population, hence their strength to turn around their challenges into strength.
Director of Gender, Vanessa Moungar, Director of Gender, Women and Civil Society at the African Development Bank, Côte d’Ivoire, emphasised the need for governments to develop good regulatory frameworks that would create the right environment for women entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile the CEO of Old Mutual’s Masisizane, Zizipho Nyanga, has said women entrepreneurs should benefit from both social and financial returns, so as to become credible mentors and role models who could inspire and motivate others.
AWIEF’s flagship Growth Accelerator Programme was showcased as 10 South African women entrepreneurs who had previously participated in the programme pitched their businesses to business leaders, investors and governments. The Growth Accelerator Programme supports women-owned enterprises with business modelling and growth strategy needed to scale up, become investment ready and develop entrepreneurship leadership, and is to be replicated across several African countries.
