DURBAN - The office of the mayor in Msunduzi Municipality said the programme was aimed at assisting existing or aspirant businesswomen to identify funding opportunities either through financial aid or grants available from both public and private entities.
Speaking at the launch event on Friday, Bongi Sithole-Moloi, MEC for Agriculture and Rural Development, said she believed woman entrepreneurs could be the solution to reviving the stature of Pietermaritzburg as the capital city of KwaZulu-Natal. She encouraged women to take up all the funding opportunities presented to them.
“Women need to identify sectors that don’t have enough representation for them and pro-actively seek the funding for those sectors to change the status quo. We need to know what you want to be funded for. You must do your homework and approach funding institutions because you know there is a budget for the work you want to do,” she said.
Sithole-Moloi said agricultural businesses was one of the areas where women could be more pro-active, adding that her department wanted to see every home plant at least two fruit trees or vegetables.
“There are so many opportunities available if you are clear on your objectives. We recently funded a female breeder with 120 cows to breed cows for meat over a three-year period. We will monitor the growth of the business and she will receive mentorship and support from various stakeholders. She forms part of a R152 million budget to empower at least 157 female farm owners. Women need to approach the department with a convincing case and a clear business plan showing that you know what you want to achieve.
“When the female breeder succeeds, it builds a case for us to continue funding more women like her. Agriculture is one of the areas where more women could play a more active role, even by studying i n areas such as veterinarian care,” said Sithole-Moloi.
The National Youth Development Agency advised women to approach it for assistance for grant funding ranging from R10 000-R250 000, which included business planning services and training, that would enable women to take “bankable” proposals to organisations such as the Ithala Group, KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, South African Women in Construction, the Small Enterprise Development Agency and others.
Bev Gumbi-Ngcongwane, managing director of Isivuno Container Business, said she had traded a corporate post in 2005 to venture into a container-conversion business after a trip to Asia.
Gumbi said persistent approaches to Ithala led to her receiving more than the initial start-up capital she had
requested, and the now 16-year-old company had 45 employees and 20 products – and indirectly affected an estimated 200 family members. “It has not been easy and I have realised that you have to have consistent marketing in your business.”
Another beneficiary, Nonjabulo Nzuza, the owner of Injabulo Foodworks Culinary Training Studio, said from an initial R300 from her husband, to bake and sell muffins, she had grown her business and started a culinary school and a coffee shop.
Nzuza said by going back to school she had been able to start the culinary school, which had trained over 1 000 women who now owned their own businesses. “You have to be innovative as a business owner; after the lockdown closure of eateries we started selling easy-bakes which has sustained the business.”
For more information, women visit the Msunduzi Municipality Facebook Page, or call Nomfundo Dubazana on (033) 392 8676 or 064 557 3257.
THE MERCURY