DURBAN - The Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry held their annual women in business event at the Durban ICC to encourage and inspire established and emerging entrepreneurs.
Present at the gathering was the newly appointed Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Palesa Phili and the Lefentse Chapman the Provincial Head of Enterprise and Supplier Development for Absa.
Psychologist Dr Akashni Maharaj, Londiwe Ndwandwe the owner of Andimahle Trading Enterprise, Pam Ndlovu a personal trainer and Nomagugu Manci the principal architect and designer at NSM Projects were the invited guest speakers that motivated and inspired the businesswomen in the room.
The Durban Chamber CEO Palesa Phili called women the pillars of the economy and called on them to take part in the South African economy to make it stronger. She also imparted tips to the businesswomen in the room on how they can improve themselves and their businesses.
Her tips included having a mentor that help and guide you, to ensure that your business is compliant with business regulations and that it is registered and finally she highlighted the importance of networking with other businesswomen.
Lefentse Chapman from Absa said that majority of the entrepreneurs in South Africa are female but they are stuck in the informal sector. She added that when they approach Absa for a loan they ask for small amounts, unlike male entrepreneurs who ask for big loan amounts.
According to Chapman, both the Durban Chamber and Absa have the same mandate which is to empower small businesses especially female entrepreneurs.