Bolt, the leading on-demand mobility platform in Africa, recently co-hosted a Women In Business conference themed “#Choosewomen #chooseanation” with the Gauteng Department of Economic Development (GDED) and UN Women to champion women entrepreneurship in commemoration of Women’s Month. The event was attended by small business owners in Gauteng and addressed the various societal issues that impact women’s economic empowerment and positioned entrepreneurship as the cornerstone for poverty alleviation and sustainable economic advancement.
The event provided a platform that hopes to accelerate the participation of women-owned businesses by engaging with key industry players, igniting the spirit of collaboration, and ultimately contributing towards inclusive economic growth.
As part of the event, a number of panel discussions were held with topics ranging from enabling inclusivity, investment opportunities available to women, access to market and technological transformation and financial support women need.
The discussions gave the attendees actionable insights from renowned experts in gender, business development, and financial inclusion and delved deep into the transformative power of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for female-led enterprises. Panellists also addressed the unique challenges and constraints faced by women in the business sphere, aiming to foster solutions and robust support mechanisms and celebrate the indomitable spirit and contributions of women entrepreneurs.
Tafadzwa Samushonga, Country Manager for Bolt Food, who sat on the enabling inclusivity panel, said, ” As of 2022, women hold only 26.7% of technology jobs. Compared to entry-level roles, top-management positions have an even lower representation of women. With these stats, I would encourage women to create earning opportunities for themselves, and I am proud to be a part of an organisation that champions women’s entrepreneurship and supports their businesses to grow. For example, on our Bolt Food delivery platform, we have a number of women-owned restaurants and merchants who are leveraging our technology to connect with thousands of customers to which they would not ordinarily have access. While on our rides business through our Women Only Category, ensure that women are not left behind and are not excluded from partnering with us to earn an income such as their male counterparts. Through the Women category, we connect females with women drivers on the Bolt platform to provide a safer way for women to travel or drive in the various cities in South Africa, removing any boundaries women may have towards driving such as safety.”
