Accra
24 October 2006
Chairperson
Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry
Ghanaian Deputy Minister of Children's Affairs
High Commissioner to the South African Embassy in Ghana
Government officials from South Africa (SA) and Ghana
Representatives of organisations
Women entrepreneurs from Ghana and South Africa
Distinguished guests
Ladies and gentlemen
Good morning to you all. I would like to thank the government of Ghana, the
women entrepreneurs, our very own South African Embassy for making all of this
possible. To all the Ghanaians who have graced us with their presence, we are
indeed humbled by your response and for taking time from your busy schedules to
engage with us. My delegation and I will certainly make this forum worth your
while.
Fortunately I have been in Ghana since Saturday and have had the opportunity
to be a business tourist. Through this I have been exposed to the real people
and a bit of the culture of this beautiful country. My name is Elizabeth
Thabethe, one of the two Deputy Ministers of Trade and Industry, responsible
for Consumer issues as well as issues of the second economy. Two officials, my
daughter and 10 women entrepreneurs accompany me on this visit. They are mainly
involved in the clothing and textile industry and are all members of the South
African Women Entrepreneurs Network (SAWEN) from different provinces of SA.
Honourable Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, I first wish to forward an
apology from our First Lady Mrs Mbeki, who could not join us today due to prior
commitments, which were effected by the change of the dates of this visit. She
sends her best wishes to the leadership of this forum, its participants and the
people of Ghana. As part of my remarks I will share with you the purpose of our
visit; locate this within the broader African process facilitated by our
leaders; reflect on why women entrepreneurship is critical; areas of focus for
possible collaboration and closure.
As I have already indicated, this is my second visit. Last year when I was
here, part of my visit was being linked up with leaders in government to see
how we could further strengthen the already existing trade relations with this
country. From the warm reception, and good discussions I had with the
ministers, we agreed that there is indeed a genuine need to further extend the
already established trade linkages to include women entrepreneurs.
I promised to return, and here I am with my delegation. Part of my coming
back was the realisation that women entrepreneurship in this country have and
continue to be, leading best practices on the continent and around the world.
The establishment of our very own SAWEN was also motivated by the successes you
have achieved through your own similar structure. It is therefore no
coincidence that today the very same is part of this forum.
Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, apart from this I am also aware of the fact
that both countries' women face the same challenges. Likewise, our women
continue to have limited access to credit, they continue to have dual family
and business responsibilities, which hamper their full participation in the
broader economy, limited access to finance leading to no ownership of land,
amongst others.
As much as this happens to be the case, a winning characteristic that the
two countries also share is the realisation that this situation needs to be
addressed. I am convinced that the main reason behind this is both countries
see women entrepreneurship as a valuable resource that, if properly supported,
can be a strong, effective backbone of our economy. We are learning in South
Africa that women entrepreneurship has a multiplier effect that has a great
potential to address other critical socioeconomic needs, like education and
health, which are central for development.
Honourable ministers, ladies and gentlemen, I request that we also locate
this initiative within the context where our leaders are trying to address both
political and economic challenges faced by our continent. This includes the
commitments made by various African states through the roadmap provided by the
African Union (AU) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), to
collaborate to achieve greater unity and solidarity for the development of our
respective people and our continent.
As indicated by President Mbeki, as Africans we need faster ways to
accelerate change and implement the programmers of the AU, particularly its
development programme, NEPAD. We have to collaborate better to end conflicts
and wars, ensure the all-round development of the masses of our people and
advance towards the realisation of the goal of African unity. The role and
commitment for the further advancement of women entrepreneurship is central
towards the achievement of these.
Honourable Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, women entrepreneurship can and
has played a critical role towards economic development. Through their
enterprises, they create jobs for our local people thus reducing unemployment
and uprooting poverty in our communities. The people employed are thus enabled
to provide for the basic needs of their families. Working together with
government, with the necessary support, they have the means of managing
sustainable and profitable enterprises.
This in return ensures that others have the financial ability to provide
their families with shelter, food, basic healthcare, basic education, etc.
Women entrepreneurship presents us as government with another vehicle for
developing economic survival tactics that will go beyond even these very
basics, including generating wealth for themselves, their families, their
communities, our country, our region and the continent at large. Together this
plays a vital role in assisting us to achieve mental stability, peace of mind,
spiritual revival and enrichment, all of which is the cornerstone for the
sustained economic development needed by South Africa and Ghana.
Honourable Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, without wasting too much time,
allow me to indicate to you what it is that we as South Africans are interested
in as part of further strengthening this relationship. This is informed by our
own research conducted where we have studied the economic trends of Ghanaian
women entrepreneurship. These include the following:
Agriculture and Forestry
Apart from your cocoa product that accounts for 30 to 40% of total exports,
your other food crops and livestock are by far the most important contributors
to output, making up around 25% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We have
identified this as critical for partnership. Fortunately last week, we in South
Africa have recently launched a forum for rural women under the leadership of
our current Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs.
Through this structure and SAWEN, we would appreciate exchanging best
practices around the effective farming methods and how to best engage with the
relevant market. Obviously there is also another possibility of exporting some
of your products to us. Around forestry, we would like to pursue business
focusing on the exchange of skills. Ghanaians produce some of the best
woodcraft items, where together with the possibilities of entering into the
design of furniture manufacturing, our women can excel. Both countries can lead
in producing Afrocentric furniture products, now in high demand around Africa
and Asia.
Mining
South Africa is famous for its gold mines, which include the deepest mines
in the world, requiring cutting-edge technologies. In addition to still being
the top gold producer in the world, South Africa is also the top producer of
platinum, rhodium, chrome, manganese, vanadium, vermiculite, and
alumino-silicates. It is also a significant producer of coal, diamonds,
antimony, copper, fluorspar, iron ore, lead, nickel, titanium, zinc, and
zirconium. In all, 707 mines produced 55 minerals and accounted for 7,5% of GDP
in 2001.In South Africa we have the South African Women in Mining Association
(SAWIMA), of which some of its leading members are leaders of SAWEN. In this
sector we can work together where our focus can be around beneficiation, such
as the production of Afrocentric designs of jewellery.
We have already made strides in our country through companies like Nozala
Investments and projects like Kgabane. Securing and facilitating access to the
mining rights for women is a possibility for us now and certainly we can work
with Ghanaian women on these. We can facilitate initiatives like diamonds for
development where we change the negative history of corruption, smuggling and
poor management of diamonds.
Industry and manufacturing
We, as South Africans, are very interested in your thriving garment and
textile industry. I hope you have noticed that the century for African
fashionable outfits has arrived and in South Africa our young up and coming
designers have heeded this call. This is the area where women from both
countries should dominate.
With your renowned effective and efficient tailor services, there can be a
great exchange of skills and great collaboration. National garment prints like
kente, seshweshwe, umbhaco and isidwaba need to be promoted as part of the
current fashion trends. The interior d�cor trends offer our women a great
opportunity, which lies in our hands due to it being tied to our family
responsibilities.
Services
We have also identified tourism and the financial sector for possible
collaboration. Through your stunning national parks and reserves combined with
our breath taking mountains and white beach sand, much can be facilitated.
Enterprises like travel agencies, bed and breakfast establishments as well as
boutique hotels present our women with great opportunities. Skills and
information exchange initiatives can be looked at. As we prepare for the 2010
World Cup in South Africa, continuing to host various international forums, we
need to find ways of ensuring that our guests don't leave SA without making a
turn in Ghana.
Regarding the issue of finance, currently my department is working around
the establishment of the Women Entrepreneurs' Fund. We need assistance on how
we can better ensure that women who tend to be classified as belonging in micro
industries, can access this. Without this fund benefiting these very women, our
fund will not make the desired impact. This is about mainstreaming women's
involvement and participation in the main economy.
Honourable Ministers, ladies and gentlemen, these are just some of the
possible areas of co-operation as part of advancing women economically. In all
of these, SAWEN is the main vehicle for driving these. Its current leadership,
including its newly appointed president, deputy president and national council,
is prepared and committed to make this a success. This leadership, supported by
us, will further pursue the finalisation of this partnership.
To conclude, I would like to leave you with the words of President Mbeki who
said, "All of us as political leaders, as workers, as businesspeople, youth,
women and the intelligentsia have a duty to fight against poverty and
underdevelopment as well as to ensure that as Africans we define ourselves, not
in the image of our former colonisers but in the spirit of our African
ancestors, who bequeathed so much to the human race. I am certain that through
our determined and collective struggles, we shall overcome."
Once more, I thank you most sincerely for embracing our visit and responding
so positively. Let us work together to further realise the objectives set for
realising the economic emancipation of our women in Africa. Africa belongs to
both its men and women, both must share the responsibility for ensuring its
peace and prosperity!
Thank you.
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
24 October 2006
Source: Department Trade and Industry (http://www.dti.gov.za)
