Over 3,000 businesswomen from across Africa have benefited from a one-day mentorship conference aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs with new perspectives, practical skills and strategic insights to help them scale their businesses.
The training, organised by Absa Kenya in partnership with Absa Bank Ghana and Zambia, is part of the banks’ Women in Business proposition which supports women entrepreneurs with the financial and non-financial resources and skills they need to enable them to sustainably grow their businesses.
A 2020 International Trade Centre (ITC) study on the impact of COVID-19 on businesses in 136 countries indicated that nearly 62 percent of women-led small businesses were severely impacted by the crisis, and that women-owned businesses were 27 percent more likely to close because of the pandemic.
Since the launch of the SHE Business proposition in 2021, more than 20,000 active women customers have been impacted by the initiative. This has been realised through partnership with like-minded institutions such as Melanin Kapital, Unilever, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), IFC’s Sourcing2Equal, GIZ and the African Guarantee Fund (AGF) to provide financial and nonfinancial support to women entrepreneurs.
The InspireME event was attended by top women leaders including Gina Din Corporate Communications Founder and Executive Chairperson, Ms. Gina Din Kariuki, Protel Studios Founder Ms. Sara Migwi, NAYA by Africa Founder and CEO, Ms. Nana Ama Yankah and Sylva Group of Companies Founder and CEO, Ms. Sylvia Banda who shared the entrepreneurial journeys, triumphs, and lessons.
