‘Top women’ share their knowledge at local conference
Women in business were honoured for their contributions to the economy during the Standard Bank Series of Top Women Regional Conferences in Polokwane on 17 May at Fusion Boutique Hotel.
POLOKWANE – Standard Bank conducted a survey which found what was holding women back from steering the country’s economy to greener pastures was the lack of access to markets.
To help overcome this challenge, they launched the Standard Bank Top Women Conference to give women a platform to address the issues they felt were holding them back from achieving greatness in the local, regional, national and international market.
The conference hosted a gathering of renowned thought leaders, mentors and change drivers dedicated to recognising the achievements of women in public and private sectors and offering aspiring entrepreneurs new strategies for success.
The women got to network and create connections that will help them take their businesses to the next stage. A one-hour Fast Track Networking session formed part of the conference and gave participants the chance to build meaningful personal networks, encourage business interest or partnerships and gain knowledge.
There was also a two-hour Pitching Den where delegates were given three minutes to pitch their business models to a panel of high-profile judges.
“Top Women is a community built around the spirit of mentorship; with successful women uplifting others to pursue success to an equal degree and collectively sharing knowledge gained through experience to help everyone in the community advance. We look forward to showcasing some of the most successful stories and strategies implemented in the development of leadership roles for women and connecting entrepreneurs to key influencers who are serious about economy-wide progress,” said Karla Fletcher, Standard Bank Top Women Director.
Stakeholders that participated in the conference were Small Enterprise Development Agency (Seda), Limpopo Department of Economic Development, Environment and Tourism (Ledet), The Black Business Council in the Built Environment (BBCBE Limpopo), The South African Women in Construction (SAWiC Limpopo) which is an affiliate to the BBCBE, Women in Tourism and the Black Management Forum.
