CiTi partners with City of Cape Town to empower female entrepreneurs

Image supplied

With South Africa ranking at 21 out of 31 countries for the digital fluency of its female population, the Cape Innovation and Technology Initiative (CiTi), in partnership with the City of Cape Town, is equipping female entrepreneurs with the tech tools and skills they need to participate in the digital economy via the fully-funded 10-week Top Tech Tools for Women in Business programme.

Over the past two years, more than 200 women from all over the Western Cape have been empowered by the programme. Now, the opportunity is available for another 35 women.

During weekly workshops held every Wednesday morning at the Khayelitsha Bandwidth Barn, South Africa’s only township-based tech hub, the successful applicants will receive guidance and mentorship from business leaders and industry experts on how to access free technology tools and implement them in their businesses.

Nobuzwe Dolopini, project manager for the Enterprise Development Department at CiTi, says, “The programme is focused on tech enablement and exposes the participants to tech tools like financial management systems, cloud computing, social media and online marketing. The women are given a supportive environment in which to test these tools.”

“On completion of the 10-week programme, the participants will submit a technology strategy developed during the programme. Post programme, the participants can then implement this into their businesses, not only saving them money, but precious time as well,” adds head of operations for the Enterprise Development Department at CiTi, Mary Faulks.

Yolanda Vusa of Brandaway, who took part in the previous programme shares, “Every single time that I come here, I learn something new that I take into my business. Every tool has helped me take my business to the next level and now I feel more professional.”

Fellow cohort member, Michelle Blanchard, who is the Co-Owner of Frosted Events Management, adds: “This program has benefited me and my business. It has given me insight into so many tools that I had no idea about or that I had heard of but was unsure how to use.”

Western Cape-based female founders and CEOs aged between 25 and 50 who have a registered business that has been running for at least a year are eligible to apply. Applications close on Thursday, 19 September 2019.

To apply, go to www.citi.org.za