SA Taxi Finance Holdings, a financier for the R50-billion taxi industry and the daily lifeblood of millions is increasing the number of its female beneficiaries.
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In a statement marking Women’s Month, Maroba Maduma of the company said the industry, a primary source of public transport is one of the biggest business sectors and a significant job creator in a mainly black-owned industry. Maduma said they were extending financing opportunities and wanted to ensure the sustainability of the sector by financing more small, medium and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) of particularly female entrepreneurs in the industry and allied services. Women currently own only an estimated 2,8 per cent of the industry.
He said R3,5 billion had already been invested in women-owned taxis and allied entrepreneurs whose numbers had increased since 2008 by an average of 4,5 per cent per annum. “This has resulted in 8 473 female-owned SMMEs owning 12 092 vehicles, an average of 1,4 vehicles per owner,” Maduma said.
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“Of this, we currently have R1,9 billion invested with 4 382 female taxi owners, who collectively operate 5 656 SA Taxi-financed vehicles.”
He added that each taxi generated 1,8 direct jobs equating to 21 766 jobs created since 2008 by female entrepreneurs, with 10 180 direct jobs currently sustained through female entrepreneurs.
“We want to use Women’s Month to highlight opportunities existing for them in this sector.”
Details: www.sataxi.co.za
