Pretoria - Afrobotanics and Girl Boss will be seeking to change the face of small businesses one community at a time by helping create more women entrepreneurs through the launch of the Senbenza Girl Campaign.
The chief executive officer and founder of the AfroBotanics group, Ntombenhle Khathwane, speaking at the launch of the campaign at the Afrobotanics offices in Centurion said the campaign would rope in 30 youths from Olivenhoutbosch to equip them with life and financial planning but also teach them valuable entrepreneurship skills.
Khathwane said through the campaign they would give the youngsters the opportunity to start their own businesses at the level they were comfortable with, and look to narrowing the unemployment and income gap, especially for women in the townships.
"All that separates us is equal access to opportunities. If we are armed with knowledge and know-how, then we can achieve the vision of having thriving community economies where everyone is actively contributing to growing the economy."
The founder said she believed that empowerment programmes were meant to not only be meaningful but also assisted to take people further and not simply leave them to fend for themselves.
"It takes a long time for a person to change so we're still trying to find the best fit for the programme and to structure this campaign as a multilevel networking programme."
"Those who are passionate enough can be taught entrepreneurship skills, basic selling skills and ultimately sell our products and eventually have their own store and that is the dream around the campaign."
Khathwane said although they would be piloting the campaign in Gauteng it would be a long-term programme to form part of her company's DNA and be expanded to other communities and provinces.
"We've structured it as a competition and will identify girls who are really passionate and want to have their own business. We will help those who excel to establish a store whether it be a hair or nail salon and help kit them up as we want to raise more girl entrepreneurs and bosses which starts by coaching and mentoring them at an early age."
"I had to fight to create my own opportunities and I never had that opportunity because we live in a world where you've got to know somebody or your parents have to have money. Everything is against us as women so we have to contribute towards ensuring that our mindset is not against us too."
Nonhle Matshebula, chief executive officer of Girl Boss, an empowerment platform started in 2018, said the Sebenza Girl Campaign came out of realising the negative impact the Covid-19 pandemic had on the progress of the girl child.
Matshebula said they had to first acknowledge that in the African context there were very few women in managerial and top positions and then look to partner with brands that sought to help young girls to build a "girl boss mentality" from a young age.
"It's a programme where they become their own boss, they can sell products, and recruit others to help sell their products and create systems on how to market themselves in order to thrive."
"The young women and men are given products, taught to market and grow their own network. It's just a way to help girls get out and find their own path to financial freedom by providing them with starter kits and valuable skills," she added.
Ashley Letsebe, 24, said she loved that they were trying to empower the girl child as ladies were dependent and often stuck in unfavourable situations they did not want to be in because of financial circumstances.
"The truth is that we still need initiatives like this that help eradicate financial problems for ladies and help change the face of our society bit by bit. Having businesses that we could form for ourselves is something to be excited about."
"Boys have been considered for a long time and these initiatives are just trying to create a balance where we want to help out the girl child and bring everyone to the same level. It may seem biased but it's our chance to catch up."
Pretoria News