Tag: Sanlam

Credit has long had a bad reputation. For years, it has been associated with financial distress, risky decisions and debt traps. But South African women are rewriting that narrative. Through careful, deliberate borrowing, many are using credit as a tool for resilience – enabling education, covering unexpected emergencies and building a more financially secure future for their families.

You cannot pour for others unless your own jug is full - is a simple metaphor I use to describe my attitude toward mental health in the workplace after I went for therapy to help me manage stress which is something that would have been seen as taboo a couple of decades ago.

While the power of face-to-face, physical sessions remains indisputable, COVID-19 has called for a ‘new normal’ where Zoom meetings and WhatsApp calls are the order of the day. All sectors of society have been impacted, including intermediaries who have had to quickly digitally mobilise to be there for their clients in a time when they’re needed most.

While women have made great strides in entrepreneurship over the past decade, female entrepreneurs still lag behind their male counterparts when it comes to raising capital. While the goal remains to close any funding gap that exists in this regard, a positive upshot has been that many women business owners have proved to be resource-efficient by necessity.

A new report released by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has found that online marketplaces could create as many as 3 million jobs in Africa over the next six years. Considering the current state of unemployment in many parts of the continent – particularly among the youth – the healthy development of an e-commerce marketplace will prove to be an important contributor to Africa’s economic growth and job creation in the future.

Entrepreneurs have often played an important role in driving social change over the years. It therefore comes as no surprise that a new wave of 'ecopreneurs' – business owners whose businesses are not only driven by profit, but also by a concern for the environment – are leading the way for sustainable business practices.

Mothers are often lauded as the superheroes of their homes and society at large. So, when it comes to entrepreneurial moms, there can be no doubt that these women are a boundless source of inspiration who serve as motivation for their children and other moms to pursue entrepreneurship, a decision that can only benefit South Africa into the future.