Zimpapers Logo

Sikhulekelani Moyo, [email protected]

WOMEN in Matabeleland South have commended Esteemed Business Women, a networking platform, which was established to empower women entrepreneurs saying it has enabled them to improve their livelihoods as well as assist their communities.

Esteemed Business Women is a networking platform, which is the brainchild of Sipho Mazibuko.

The initiative is meant to capacitate women-led businesses by giving them a platform to network, market linkages and linking them with different service providers that are relevant to their day-to-day businesses.

Matabeleland South Esteemed Business Women senior coordinator Ms Glown Moyo, in an interview, said the platform is empowering women by connecting them with like-minded people and at the same time giving them a networking platform to learn from others and improve their product quality.

She said many women who are into craft work were shy to exhibit their works on different platforms, but they have now embraced the digital era, where they market their products on different social media platforms including WhatsApp groups.

“This platform has helped us as ladies by encouraging us to do different businesses using our hands.

“Through Esteemed Business Women we have managed to exhibit our businesses in different places and it has upgraded and improved our skills at the same time embracing innovation,” she said.

Ms Moyo said through the platform, Matabeleland South women are now into different projects including poultry, which is now giving them income to take care of their families and other people in need from their communities.

Recently, Esteemed Business Women received a donation of day-old chicks from Hamara, which was then distributed in Matabeleland South and Bulawayo.

The chickens are now mature and Ms Moyo said they will sell the chickens and use the money to help orphaned girls in different communities by paying their school fees and other things they need.

Mazibuko said Esteemed Business Women has made a remarkable stride in empowering women saying that the organisation has secured sponsors to train on trading in different products including fascinators.

Fascinators are Esteemed Business Women’s identity piece which is a requirement when they attend their meetings. Therefore, Mazibuko said instead of the women buying them from other people or instead of importing them, they can make them and sell them to others.

Mazibuko also said the group has been invited under the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife to exhibit at the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) Summit where she said they will exhibit recycled and reused products from one of the Esteemed Business Women members from Matabeleland South.

“I feel women from Matabeleland South are very receptive, especially those from Insiza, and I feel like working with them is part of giving back to the community because I also come from Matabeleland South,” said Mazibuko.

Meanwhile, Mazibuko is launching Esteemed Business Owners for people living with disability and she said all this is meant to empower them, giving them a platform to network and connect with like-minded people.

As a person living with disability, she said they face a lot of stigmatisation and they need to empower each other so that they grow their businesses and improve their livelihoods.

@SikhulekelaniM1