This archive report was first published on 29 September 2021.
Published on September 29, 2021, a new initiative has been launched to support women entrepreneurs in Africa, with the goal of unlocking deals worth Sh1 trillion by 2025 and creating over 200,000 jobs.
Gina Din-Kariuki, a public relations powerhouse, has joined forces with Bramuel Mwalo, the founder and CEO of Xetova, a data science company specializing in supply chain transformation, to launch The WeDeliver Agenda Africa.
The initiative aims to rally Africa's corporates to support and enable the inclusion of women-led or owned businesses in their supply chain, leveraging public-private partnerships to focus on the key challenges that women entrepreneurs face.
The key goal is to support 50,000 women in the continent to unlock deals worth $10 billion (Sh1 trillion) by 2025, which is tipped to boost regional trade and create more than 200,000 jobs across the various value chains.
Gina Din-Kariuki shares her insights on the grand plan, stating that traditional business models have been designed for and by men, and that women-owned businesses face significant challenges, including lack of capital, fear of failure, and under-investment.
She emphasizes the need for businesses to be more proactive in recruiting diverse candidates and improving accountability, and to track the number of accepted resumes and new hires.
Bramuel Mwalo, the founder and CEO of Xetova, highlights the challenges locking out women, citing that up to 53% of Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs) or businesses are women-owned or -led in Africa, but they access less than 15% of large-scale supply chain opportunities.
He emphasizes the need for organizations to streamline their processes to drive more women to access opportunities, and for governments and corporates to take their promises further to tangible success stories.
The technology involved in The WeDeliver Agenda Africa helps corporates celebrate women, enhance their profile, collaborate with financiers, and ask to pay women on time.
The initiative has received a positive reception, with a lot of partners from institutions such as banks, chambers of commerce, and non-governmental organizations on board.
