29 August 2007

By Sipho None

WOMEN'S financial empowerment was the focus of a seminar attended by West Rand businesswomen, including entrepreneurs, stokvel organisers and owners of small, medium and micro enterprises.

Hosted by Rehumile Business Enterprises, the seminar was held recently at Centenary Hall to celebrate Women's Day and Women's Month. National Women's Day is marked on 9 August, to honour the women's march to parliament in 1956 to protest against the pass laws. The whole month has been set aside to focus on women.

According to Lesego Mosetle, the managing director and owner of Rehumile Business Enterprises, the seminar, themed "Financial empowerment for women", was geared at empowering women on matters financial and exposing them to various funding and business opportunities.

"We've seen great things happening outside Mogale City to celebrate Women's Month, and I said to myself that we needed to do something for ourselves as women. So I thought of a business seminar to celebrate the month and women on financial matters, funding and exposing them to the business opportunities available to them," Mosetle said.

Well-established private and public organizations, including the JSE, Stanlib Wealth Management, the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Department of Trade and Industry, gave financial advice and information to delegates.

Maureen Dlamini, the JSE education senior general manager, said, "We must create a legacy for ourselves and our children, and the best possible way to do that is to start investing today."

Tsholofelo Molebaloa, the director of the South African Micro-finance Fund (Samaf), and Fatima Ebrahim, the NEF's asset management division portfolio administrator, said women should stop focusing on ordinary businesses, which have saturated the market.

"There are untapped business opportunities for women in particular, and I wish to advise you to stop focusing on ordinary businesses, such as catering and shebeens. These businesses have saturated the market. Seek information and explore other avenues. Our department is there for you," Molebaloa said.

Samaf is a Department of Trade and Industry initiative.

"Many of our people are not aware of other products in the market, which could create wealth for them. There are other products, such as shares either as an individual or as a team."

One of the delegates, informal trader Dinah Mooki, said: "This seminar has helped me a lot, particularly regarding the benefits of stokvel investments. I've learned and hope that such sessions are held [more often] to empower us."

Eunice Segatlhe, the Speaker in the West Rand District Municipality and the master of ceremonies on the day, had similar sentiments. "This is the first [seminar] of its kind in Mogale City and it has benefited us a lot in terms of [learning about the] financial opportunities available for women.

"As women we've been organised, but MTN and Stanlib have opened our eyes to various business opportunities," she said.

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