EntreprenHER programme makes strides in empowering women entrepreneurs in Botswana, South Africa and Namibia

The EntreprenHER programme, run in partnership with De Beers Group, UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office which aims to accelerate women-owned micro enterprises, has made significant progress in the first half of 2024. The three-year initiative (2024-2026) targets 1,500 women entrepreneurs in the informal sector across three southern African countries: Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa. This builds on work that started in 2017 that has reached over 2,600 women entrepreneurs to date. 

In the second quarter of the year, the programme successfully trained 220 women entrepreneurs. Botswana currently leads the way, having surpassed its midway target by reaching 159 women with capacity building in Improve Your Business (IYB) training. 

The programme focuses on equipping low-income women entrepreneurs with essential business skills to help manage their enterprises, create decent jobs and achieve income security. Key expected outcomes include making their businesses more competitive and sustainable, improving livelihoods, increasing agency and participation and leveraging emerging technologies. 

One of the programme participants in Botswana, Lemogang Bathobasele, a qualified mechanic and owner of Car Diagnosis Solutions & Repairs lauded the programme for its focus on women with small businesses. “What I loved about this training is that it is targeted at women like me. My highlight was learning about marketing and costing. I don’t currently have a marketing plan and strategy, and it pains me that Batswana don’t know about Car Diagnosis Solutions. I also learned how to price my services. Initially I’d adjust my price according to what the customer could afford, without taking my cost into consideration. I look forward to implementing what I learned this week and growing my business to hire more women electricians and mechanics,” said Bathobasele. 

Strategic partnerships with local governments and municipalities have been crucial to the programme's implementation. In Botswana, the newly appointed Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Gender, Youth, Sports and Culture has shown strong support. South Africa has engaged with the Mayors of Musina and Blouberg Municipalities, while Namibia is working closely with the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication, and Social Welfare. 

The programme has also made strides in digital literacy and innovation. Plans are underway to enhance the ‘Buy from Women’ platform (www.buyfromwomen.org) with a dedicated section for Small Micro Enterprises, enabling digital profiling of micro-entrepreneurs and facilitating networking opportunities. Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA) is another key focus area, with plans to implement CSA resilience techniques for smallholder farmers in the second half of the year. Each country will engage a climate-smart agriculture consultant, targeting a total of 75 women across the three countries. 

Looking ahead, the programme is on track to to reach its target of 500 entrepreneurs trained by the end of 2024. 

As the EntreprenHER programme continues to evolve and adapt, it remains committed to its core mission of empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering sustainable economic growth across Southern Africa. With strong partnerships, innovative approaches, and a focus on digital literacy and climate-smart practices, the programme is well-positioned to make a lasting impact on the lives of women entrepreneurs in the region. 

“The approach to empowering women micro-entrepreneurs requires programmes and training models that will demonstrate impact and transform their livelihoods through growth of their enterprises.  This is only possible with partners like De Beers Group who have believed in the programme and its linkage to achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment) and have invested over US$7 million in the initiative since 2017,” said Agnes Phiri, Strategic Partnerships Specialist, UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office.

“We recognise the truly vital role that women-owned micro-enterprises play for their families, communities and society as a whole. We are thrilled to be partnering with UN Women and local government, to support women entrepreneurs across southern Africa to hone their skills, access markets and reach their full potential as part of our broader commitment to accelerating equal opportunity and partnering for thriving communities. The stories of the impact and success emerging from the programme continues to inspire and motivate us all across the company,” said Rebecca Collacott, Head of Sustainability Integration at De Beers Group.

The EntreprenHER programme, coordinated by UN Women South Africa Multi-Country Office, is supported by the De Beers Group, and implemented in partnership with the governments of Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa (the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development in Botswana; the Ministry of Gender, Social Welfare, and Poverty Eradication in Namibia, and the Musina and Blouberg Municipalities in South Africa).