Project to cushion African women against Covid-19

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
WOMEN running different businesses will now have a chance to showcase their products, sell and participate in mentorship programmes courtesy of the African Women Speak project which was crafted to help them overcome challenges and effects of Covid-19.

The 50 Million African Women Speak (50MAWS) is a digital platform which is available via web and on mobile devices as an application for women in business.

Users will be required to have a smartphone and access to data to engage with other women from across the African continent without worrying about Covid-19 restrictions.

It is intended to empower millions of women in Africa to start, grow, and scale up businesses by providing a one-stop shop for their specific information needs.

The 50MAWS platform aims to facilitate a dynamic and engaging exchange of ideas among women entrepreneurs, using in-built social media functionality to connect them with one another in ways that will foster peer-to-peer learning, mentoring and the sharing of information and knowledge within communities, and access to financial services and market opportunities between urban and rural areas, and across borders and between countries.

According to the Women’s Affairs, Community, Small to Medium Enterprises Development Ministry, the platform was a bold acknowledgement of the critical role women play in Zimbabwe’s economy.”

The ministry said the 50MAWS project was going to allow women to connect across borders, create businesses online and ultimately contribute to the empowerment of women.

The expected outcome is to directly impact 50 million African women and create fair waged jobs for young people from the increased business activities and capital flow.

One of the local entrepreneurs, Mrs Ntobeko Ndlovu, said the platform had great potential to help women increase customer base and access new business opportunities without leaving the comfort of their homes.
Mrs Ndlovu sells groceries, clothes and is also a sales representative for exported perfumes.

She said she had already logged on and was hopeful to learn a few skills of trade that will enable her to generate more profit from her businesses.

“I believe the Africa Women Speak will help me increase my network and inspire me to work extra hard as I will be interacting with experienced business women from all over Africa. It will also encourage personal growth, knowledge and capacity to actively engage in advocacy to empower fellow women from my community,” she added.

According to Mrs Ndlovu, the platform was also going to save most women the stress and costs associated with traveling in search of goods and customers.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has left us thinking of innovative ways to look for potential customers without exposing them or ourselves to the disease. We also encountered many challenges in terms of ordering goods from the neighbouring countries but with this platform I know my orders and customers will just be a click away.”

Ms Chengetai Nkomo from Lobengula, who sells broiler chickens, says the idea was noble though women with no access to the internet are going to be left out.

“It will be awesome to hear how other sisters in Africa are surviving and making a living during these tough economic times. This is a noble idea to keep us in business despite challenges brought by Covid but I fear many other women in need of this opportunity may be left out because they do not have access to a smartphone or the internet,” said Ms Nkomo.

For Mrs Sithatshisiwe Khumalo-Sibanda who is into confectionery and cakes for all occasions, Covid-19 was a major blow as most of her orders were cancelled due to lockdown measures put in place.

She says being part of the 50MAWS will help her improve her product and connect to like-minded businesswomen who are flourishing in different African communities.

“We are passionate about delivering quality sweet treats to our customers including cakes and Covid-19 saw us cancelling or postponing our orders as public gatherings were banned for a long time. We also recorded a few sales since many of our clients lost their source of income but we remain hopeful,” she said.

“We will gladly participate in the 50MAWS project so that we share our products to get potential customers and mostly engage with other women in businesses who will inspire us to do better and improve products for clients in Bulawayo and beyond.” — @thamamoe