Xingwana, at the South African Women Entrepreneurs� Network (SAWEN) National
Conference and Annual General Meeting, Sandton Convention Centre,
Johannesburg
24 August 2006
Honourable Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms E Thabethe
Members of parliament present here
Mrs Dorothy Ramalibe and Mrs Zikalala
President of SAWEN
Board members
Members of SAWEN
Esteemed guests
Gentlemen who braved to be here
Women entrepreneurship in South Africa is still in its infancy. We have set
our sight on specific things we want to achieve. I appeal very strongly that
the foundation of our organisation should be unity. In 1956, women held hands
as one unit, none sought to benefit as an individual. Women became the force
that bound the nation together. That is why the leadership of our people after
the 9 August march declared women �Malibongwe Igama Lamakhosikazi�. This was
and still is the great tribute to women�s struggle and their achievements.
Today marks the day SAWEN dialogues about how to become an attractive
organisation, inspired by women who can take leadership and direct this
organisation into the global village as a force to be reckoned with. In South
Africa we have first and second economies and government has come up with the
Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (AsgiSA) as an
attempt to bridge the gap between the two. On 6 April 2006, Government
participated in the consultative stakeholder conceptualisation colloquium,
which was held in Midrand. The outcomes of the colloquium communicated an
unequivocal message that we must share in the economic growth, create jobs and
as a critical requirement identify the factoring in of the Second Economy,
particularly women, the youth and the disabled.
We must all understand, when we gather here today to conceptualise SAWEN,
the overarching reason why we need an intervention measure to support women in
business. We have to ensure that women should also benefit from government�s
economic programmes, Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) support programmes of the
government and the mainstream economy in general. Let me give you the assurance
that AgriBEE within the Department of Agriculture will enhance access and
participation to agricultural opportunities for women as well as access to land
for women.
In government, we have programmes that focus on start-up support packages in
various departments. I recommend that SAWEN, as an umbrella body should perhaps
have a focused unit or units that will specifically look at each government
department, facilitate access to business resources, information and tender
opportunities. Therefore, facilitate key business decision both at national and
provincial levels.
I know that even though we have difficulties in accessing finance. This
continues to be one of the main challenges inhibiting the growth and the
sustainability of women�s enterprises in South Africa. Government has tried
various programmes to address this need. Women can benefit from programmes such
as the Micro-Agricultural Finance Schemes of South Africa (Mafisa),
Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme (CASP), Land Redistribution for
Agricultural Development (LRAD) and grants from the Land Claims Commission.
In the Department of Trade and Industry (dti), programmes such as Khula, the
apex fund, the National Empowerment Fund (NEF), and Industrial Development
Corporation (IDC) should assist women entrepreneurs. We must fight for women�s
development funds just like the Umsobomvu Youth Fund. We need a fund that can
push our women into the mainstream economy. Umsobomvu Youth Fund must also set
aside funds targeted at young women and girls for programmes such as AsgiSA to
succeed in closing the gap between the first and second economy. We must ensure
that women are empowered to become entrepreneurs.
Tomorrow we are launching the �Women and Rural Development Summit� (WARD) in
Durban where Deputy Minister Thabethe will be joining us. We hope to turn some
of our rural women into entrepreneurs. We already have some who are assisted by
Land Affairs and Agriculture, who are already supplying big chain stores like
Pick �n Pay, Woolworths and Fruit and Vegetable. Some of these women are even
exporting to neighbouring countries and as a far field as Europe and China.
Moreover as an advocacy organisation our global participation as women should
inculcate a firm business acumen and leadership.
Largely, in the market arena, we should feminise them so that women can have
a strong visual presence. This will effectively concretise strategic
partnerships with government, business and other national and international
role players. I hope that will guarantee socio-economic advancement of
businesspersons in South Africa and the world. In this regard, we worked very
well with the dti, when I was still with Minerals and Energy. I trust that that
relationship will continue to be strengthened in Agriculture and Land
Affairs.
A gendered way forward that will take us a step further is ensuring that we
continue to win markets over. Just recently, we clinched a deal for citrus
exports to China, which represents a wide scope of business opportunities for
women. South Africa exports about 3 million 15-kg cartons to China and after we
sealed the deal I am expecting that this figure could rise to about 5 million,
and in the next five years to 10 million. This is a huge opportunity for women
entrepreneurs in agriculture, since 1 orange in China has a street value of
R15, four oranges cost R60. �Makhosikazi Sithi Amasi Abekwe Elangeni�
Last week I was in Lesotho attending the Southern African Development
Community (SADC), Head of States Summit. We are looking at establishing a free
trade area, a customs union and a mutual market as indicated in the Regional
Indicative Strategic Development Plan, the roadmap for integration. The
spin-offs that will be coming from these trade negotiations will bear positive
results for organisations such as SAWEN.
Through WARD, we will be looking at ways of giving recognition to rural
women, in relation to landownership, agribusinesses and challenging the stigma
around the tradition that women cannot own land or property. The saying that a
woman cannot enter a kraal is an excuse for customary discrimination against
women. Women now own kraals and provide employment opportunities to both men
and women. It is my sincere hope that SAWEN will welcome WARD and look forward
to the introduction of a new type of membership from it.
We hope that SAWEN will act as a mentor, trainer and a skills development
centre for not only WARD, but for women in other sectors such as mining,
tourism, construction, Information and Communications Technology (ICT)�s and
various business sectors, as our umbrella body. We have also South African
Women in Mining Association (SAWIMA), Women in Oil and Energy South Africa
(WOESA), South African Women in Construction (SAWIC) and new emerging women
organisations such WARD. SAWEN will have to play an active leadership role in
uniting all these other women sectors and provide a centre where experiences
can be shared and programmes can be exchanged. This would indeed be our
contribution to a strong women�s� movement in South Africa, a progressive
women�s movement.
�Unity in Action�
At the Women Speak-Out Conference, which was held in Bloemfontein on 6
August 2006, the Deputy President, Ms Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka stated that severe
skills inadequacy and women economic disempowerment trap women in poverty.
Early childbearing often spells the end to a young woman's education, and
having a large family also severely limits her job choices, work productivity
and mobility.
As business executives let us target our resources to invest in women's
education and health. Improved education for women results in reduced child
bearing and mortality rates. Women who are healthier and better educated will
be more productive members of society.
Furthermore, improving the health and education of women at grass-roots,
produces long-term benefits for society by improving the health and
productivity of their children. Better educated and healthier women, could also
play a role in arresting the large-scale feminisation of poverty. Access to
health and education makes a big impact if the masses have access to quality
healthcare and education. �If you educate a woman you educate a nation, a
healthy woman, means a healthy nation�
The United Nations argues that by not equipping women to reap the benefits
of economic opportunities, poorly developed women's human capital will hurt the
economy, and gender inequalities in the economic arena will be retained. It
stands to reason that in this way we sacrifice economic development. I told
them at the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Summit in Lesotho
last week �if we do not achieve 50/50 representation, SADC is thinking with
half a brain�. In our context, it means the growth we aspire for will not be
shared. Women are the most reliable indicators to use in gauging positive
economic trends.
I believe that the Deputy President of the country, Ms Phumzile
Mlambo-Ngcuka, is correct in saying �Women must be the creator of wealth, the
creators of jobs, and not job seekers�.
The tide continues to turn. Only a year ago the Johannesburg Stock Exchange
(JSE) companies� staff composition changed from 1 102 female executive managers
in 2005 to 1 323 female executive managers in 2006. This poses a direct
challenge to a culture prioritising men for leadership positions. While women
make up 52 percent of the adult population in South Africa (only 41 percent of
the working South African population) they constitute only 16,8 percent of all
executive managers and only 11,5 percent of all directors in the country. Only
6,4 percent of Chief Executive Officers and Chairpersons of boards are women.
This is not acceptable; SAWEN must fight and speak about this.
In conclusion women in general, who inspire civilisations, are the
custodians of our culture and we have now entered political governance. So now
is the time for women to lead in business and create new business, come up with
norms and standards, based on �Ubuntu�. Therefore it is not the hard selfish
world of material benefit at the expense of others. As we rise, let us pull
others up - that should be our guiding light. Let us salute the women who
declared war on colonialism, apartheid, discrimination and injustice.
The women that marched on 9 August 1956, 50 years ago, left a legacy for us.
Our challenge is to take up the spear where they left off by addressing the
challenges that face us today, so that 50 years from today, our daughters can
say our mothers left a legacy for us. The challenge for us today is to launch a
war on poverty, unemployment and hunger. If we can achieve the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) of halving the people who suffer from hunger, who are
poor and unemployed, by 2014, we will have left a legacy for our children and
the nation.
Malibongwe!!!
Igama Lamakhosikazi!!
Please address all your media enquiries to:
Henriette van der Merwe
Tel: (012) 394 1640
Cell: 082 572 8184
Bongani Lukhele
(012) 394 1643
Cell: 083 291 8689
Bethuel Mnguni
Tel: (012) 394 1647
Cell: 083 624 8888
Donavan Jacobs
Tel: (012) 394 1641
Cell: 082 751 1078
E-mail: mediarelations@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
24 August 2006
