MINISTER of Water and Sanitation, Nomvula Mokonyane, launched the Women in Water Entrepreneurship Incubator Programme on Friday, October 14 at the Destiny Hotel in Bredell.
Women from all walks of life attended the event to find out how they could be part of the growing water and sanitation sector.
The programme is aimed at creating a safe and supportive environment where new entrepreneurs are able to start up and sustain their businesses and access available opportunities in the water and sanitation sector.
Among the speakers at the launch was stalwart and anti-apartheid icon Sophia de Bruyn, who is the last surviving leader of the 1956 Women’s March.
De Bruyn highlighted the keywords for the morning as “standing together”.
“The power of the 1956 march was that we knew exactly why we were standing together as women, what exactly we were standing up against and the future we wanted for our children and our families. We rose up against a system that victimised, oppressed and limited us, where our freedom of rights and economic opportunity was denied.
“The conversation we are having today is knowing what your battle, your cause and your principles in life are,” said De Bruyn.
A total of 90 women-owned companies, including companies owned by youth and women with disabilities, have been identified to be assisted in the programme.
Mokonyane said the programme was built on two legs, the Women in Water Empowerment Mentorship Programme, and the Women in Water Empowerment Entrepreneurship Incubator.
“The Women in Water Programme is built on two legs, two legs so we can walk and then run. We want to run in a way that encourages other mothers and sisters and daughters to run together with us, we want to run in a way that creates opportunities for our fathers, brothers and sons to join us in this race to prosperity and sustainability,” she said.
Attending the launch from Tembisa were Olga Rankoko, Veronica Phiri, Welheminah Hlapolosa and Emelda Cetimani.
The four, whose businesses include construction, funeral services and solid waste management, were in attendance to gain information on women empowerment and to gain knowledge on how to get involved in water projects.
The minister added that the purpose of the programme was to provide support.
“Our programme seeks to identify and address the key gaps between the current scenario and expected future scenario for the participation of women. We also seek to accelerate growth and one of the things that we want to focus on in ensuring that we provide business support, resources and services is around the area of capital coaching, common services, and networking connections,” she further explained.
Mokonyane said there were three groups that had been identified to be assisted through the programme, namely beginner, intermediate and established businesses.
“Those who don’t know, we will teach, and those who know we will expose.”
She pointed out that a business could only grow through networking, partnership and sharing of information.
“Not only do we want people to come and invest in SA, but there is also a demand for South Africans to go and invest outside of South Africa. Water knows no boundary, and therefore what we are doing is to build the capacity of southern Africa, of Africa and of the world.”
