The future is increasingly digital, yet women are underrepresented in this high- growth sector of the economy. To ensure faster progress, sustainability and job creation, young women need support and encouragement to enter the sector, while women already in the sector need strong mentors to inspire them, guide them and push them to bring their ideas to life.
Although women make up 13% of the graduates leaving South African tertiary institutions with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), there is a lack of digital exposure and career guidance post-graduation, which is a significant challenge for women pursuing ICT-related careers or entrepreneurship opportunities.
Realising that empowerment means not only raising the status of women through education, awareness, literacy and training, but also being open to women’s concepts for services and product provision, the MTN South Africa (SA) Foundation has launched its inaugural 2022 MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge to assist female-owned SMMEs on a sure path to success.
With a R1 million commitment, MTN will support 10 less-established female-owned small, medium- sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) by enabling innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation for women in the digital economy.
The MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge
The MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge forms part of the MTN Group’s commitment to developing ICT small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on the continent and is an extension of MTN’s existing SME accelerator programmes. The 10 candidates, who are female graduates and/ or alumni members of the MTN SA Foundation business support programme, will be provided with R100 000 for working capital needs, business development, tangible assets, mentorship coaching and business advancing technology/software.
“Removing the barriers hindering women from entering science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields is the answer to South Africa’s enormous information and communications technology (ICT) skills gap and high unemployment rate,” says Angie Maloka, senior manager: youth & women programmes at the MTN SA Foundation. “It’s imperative to fill this inequality gap and, for us, this means making a meaningful contribution to improving female-owned businesses in the ICT market.”
Training, business support and mentorship
Each SMME will receive training, small business support and enter a four-month mentorship programme to ensure effective deployment of capital and resources, further accelerating their business and rate of business success, or the opportunity and tools to create future businesses that are robust, innovative and able to succeed in a challenging and ever-changing landscape.
The finalists of the 2022 MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge programme are prime examples of what can be achieved by women in a competitive industry.
We can’t wait to see what business ideas and cases our candidates generate at the end of the four-month programme. Our hope is that the outcomes go far to close the skills shortage gap in South Africa and create long-term career prospects for our candidates and their future employees.
“We look forward to hearing more about them as they help change the operating face of the business in South Africa,” concludes Maloka.
