WECONA hosts a Women-Focused Engagement Session in Johannesburg

By: GWL Team | Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Women's Economic Assembly hosted an engagement session for women in Johannesburg
The conference observed the participation of President Cyril Ramaphosa along with women entrepreneurs and government ministers from the Economic Cluster

Recently, a high-level engagement session has been hosted by the Women's Economic Assembly (WECONA) in Johannesburg with an intent towards addressing the persistent economic disparities that women come across.

WECONA looks forward to fostering alliance between government, the private sector, and civil society to make sure that businesses that are owned by women are getting meaningful access to procurement as well as opportunities for supply chain specifically in manufacturing, mining, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and tourism.

The conference was attended by President Cyril Ramaphosa alongside government ministers from the Economic Cluster as well as private sector executives, industry leaders, and lastly women entrepreneurs.

In addition, Mziwabantu Datimani, the National Empowerment Fund CEO said in a statement, “The NEF provides dedicated funding for women-owned businesses through the Women Empowerment Fund (WEF), offering financing from R250,000 to R75 million for start-ups, expansions, and equity acquisitions across key sectors next year. The Enterprise & Supplier Development (ESD) program also assists women entrepreneurs in accessing corporate and government supply chains.”

Adding to the statement, WECONA co-chairperson Dr. Futhi Mtoba said, “Women entrepreneurs have been left on the margins of South Africa’s economy for far too long. While we acknowledge progress, the reality is that women-owned businesses still struggle to access key supply chains in industries that drive economic growth. We can no longer afford to treat gender-inclusive procurement as an afterthought. It must be a fundamental pillar of economic transformation. WECONA 2025 is not just a conversation but a call for implementation, action, and measurable change.”