Women unite in business

By: Onalenna Jantjie

Editor: Thapelo Molebatsi

Business women in South Africa are in a better position to network with other female entrepreneurs and to attend business workshops which will help broaden their business knowledge thus assisting them to develop their companies.   This can happen through joining Phenomenal woman, a remarkable NPO formed with the objective of empowering female entrepreneurs in South Africa. The organization has branches in the Free State, North West, Western Cape, Eastern Cape Kwa-zulu Natal as well as Lesotho. They recently launched a branch in the Northern Cape Province (kuruman) where various notable males and female speakers were invited to share their business knowledge with female entrepreneurs.  

Phenomenal woman was founded by Thato Mokgothu, owner of RTT construction, Shalom Bonds, shareholder and Director at Tyremart Estoire Free State and Kathu Northern Cape. During her speech, she encouraged women to stick together.  “We as women need to go back to our roots and work together like we have done in the past. I firmly believe that women can work together even in business. If you are skilled, you need to make sure that you up skill other women.  Any woman can come and ask me about my business and how I started.  My hands are always open.  When I get a contract I make sure I subcontract other women because I believe the more you give the more you will receive,” she said.  

She further emphasized the importance of good leadership.  “We should lead in such a way that young girls will be inspired to walk on our footsteps,” she said.   Additionally, Mokgothu cautioned women against business negligence.  “As a woman in construction I always make sure that I visit my sites on a regular basis because when you own a business you need to be well versed about everything in it,” she stated. 

Sharing Thato Mokgothu’s sentiments was Obakeng Morakile from South 32. She is the logistic superintendent and first ever chairperson of women in mining committee at Mamatwan mine. Speaking on how she managed to wear many hats at a young age Morakile said: “I give credit to my father and other women for my success. My father encouraged me to work hard because there aren’t a lot of women in mining. He said I should set the pace for other women who will come after me by delivering in such a way that those women will be trusted to fill in my shoes.”  She also touched on the kind of business support offered to entrepreneurs by South 32. “South 32 recently opened a business support centre in Kuruman which is meant to provide skills, training and information to entrepreneurs. We also have a website called Intsika.  This website helps entrepreneurs to increase their online presence.  They can register on the website and even create a mini website,” she said.  The event ended with women visiting stalls to support other women who had come to promote and sell their products.