#WomensMonth: Heineken South Africa celebrates phenomenal entrepreneurs

Heineken SA in collaboration with Bizcommunity is profiling the phenomenal work and impact of women entrepreneurs. The series will be published on Bizcommunity during the month of August. Additionally, the group of entrepreneurs selected will receive a complementary online advertising package with a total value of R90,000 to promote their businesses on Bizcommunity.

Millicent Maroga, corporate affairs director at Heineken South Africa

“As a family business that was started by an entrepreneur and is today majority-owned by a woman (Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken), Heineken understands the value of entrepreneurship as a one of the key drivers to unlock and grow world economies. Women’s ideas, business acumen and experiences matters to make our economy inclusive and widely more beneficial. Women-owned businesses have not had it easy pre-Covid-19, but this pandemic has brought to bear even more challenges,” says Millicent Maroga, corporate affairs director at Heineken South Africa.

“In our own industry, women-owned taverns account for 54% ownership. Many have been without an income for months because of the imposed ban on alcohol sales. It is estimated that three out of five taverns and restaurants would have shut down by last month,” adds Maroga.

Heineken SA has supported at least 150 burgeoning small businesses through its entrepreneur-focused programmes, namely Orange Corners and Green Seeds. Orange Corners South Africa is a Jozi-based business incubator, which empowers startups within Johannesburg and Diepsloot to accelerate the growth of their businesses through amongst others items, the delivery of physical workspaces, training and mentorship as well as business coaching.

Through the Green Seeds enterprise development initiative, Heineken supports small, micro and medium enterprises in the Gauteng province by providing mentorship and masterclass sessions with relevant experts, who cover important business topics that will help position these companies better for their current sustainability and future success.

The articles will profile The Fabulous Four on surviving the Covid-19 pandemic and enabling their businesses to thrive thereafter:

• Sibongile Sambo is the founder and managing director of SRS Aviation – the first 100% Black woman-owned aviation company. Her business offers its clients professional and personalised flight options to destinations around the globe and provides effective as well as affordable air service solutions.

• Sibu Mabena managed to turn her passion for dance, social media and entertainment events into a successful career by founding Duma Collective, while completing a Bachelor in Political Sciences and International Relations at the University of Pretoria. Since then she has slayed on projects and events including Cassper Nyovest’s Fill Up The Dome, MTV Africa Awards, South African Film and Television Awards, South African Music Awards, and remains a leader in the eventing space. In 2020, Mabena was chosen as one of the judges of the Gauteng Premier’s Service Excellence Awards.

• Divya Vasant is the founder and CEO of The Amazi Group of companies with the purpose to innovate opportunities, platforms and models that champion the economic inclusion of women. As Covid reshapes the format of how earning opportunities will be created, Amazi is evolving its model to become an incubator supporting women to become self-sufficient, the first leg of which is the Amazi Virtual Knowledge Hub: an innovative digital community to learn, share, support and grow more women entrepreneurs. As an alumnae member of the Zanele Mbeki Fellowship for Feminist Leadership in Africa, Vasant applies feminist frameworks to the way she structures, creates and grows the Amazi business model.

• South African BrewMaster, Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, was born and raised in Butterworth in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and was first intrigued by the science of beer-making when she visited an open day at a university during her high school days. She is not only the first person from South Africa to complete a National Diploma in clear fermented beverages through the Food-Bev Seta and Institute of Brewing – Africa Section, but also the first Black woman to found a microbrewery called Brewsters Craft. In addition, she is a member of The Beer Association of South Africa and is working tirelessly to showcase the plight of craft beer breweries during the current restriction on alcohol trade.

Heineken SA entrepreneur profiles for Women's Month: Apiwe Nxusani-Mawela, CEO of Brewsters Craft

Heineken South Africa  19 Aug 2020

About Heineken South Africa:

Heineken South Africa is a key player in the beer and cider industry in the country, with an impressive portfolio of brands, including Heineken®, Sol, Desperados, Windhoek, Miller Genuine Draft, Amstel, Strongbow, Fox, Soweto Gold and Tafel. Heineken South Africa is a joint venture between Heineken NV and Namibia Breweries.

Visit www.heinekensouthafrica.co.za