Celebrating female entrepreneurs during Women’s Month

This Women’s Month, CiTi will be celebrating the diverse stories of ordinary women who’ve made a mark for themselves in the business world.

 

Some of these inspiring stories come from the female entrepreneurs who have taken part in our flagship Top Tech Tools for Women in Business programme, a fully-funded initiative aimed at helping female entrepreneurs and founders advance their digital competencies, and gain practical skills on how to effectively use tech in their businesses.

 

In case you missed it, here are some of the inspiring stories shared by the entrepreneurs.

 

Awonke Dyantyi, the founder and sole director of Dyantyi Accountants is a shining example of a passionate woman in business.  An accountant by profession, Awonke’s passion for business runs deep, and when she is not working as an accountant, she runs her online trending store, SBWL, which she founded with two friends.

 

“SBWL store is an online clothing store boasting high-quality clothing and other fashionable accessories since 2019. We are exciting and innovative and offer customers the fashion they want. We are based in Cape Town and the most important thing is that our store is safe and clothing items are guaranteed.

 

“A lot of people ask what SBWL means. The phrase ‘sbwl‘ is a local slang term from the isiXhosa language, originating from the word “sabaweli” meaning crave, desire, yearn or want and is normally used for things that one cannot have.”

 

Read more about Awonke’s journey here.

 

Having had a passion for business for as long as she could remember, Monique Pasqualle is making her mark as the founder of HR Cartel.

 

“We are a 100% black-owned female business, established to provide bespoke, specialist HR and Business Management services to startups, entrepreneurs, small and medium enterprises, non-government organisations and the educational sector. We ensure your business remains compliant and that your policies, procedures, and methods are in line with South African legislation and Gazettes.

 

“The need and drive to help others and assist with growth have always been a fire burning deep within me. ”

 

Read more about Monique’s business journey here.

 

After an unfortunate experience with cross fitness, female entrepreneur, Sonia Gimenez, was inspired to start her business, Easy Curves.

 

“I went into cross fitness and lost important curves which I could not surgically improve – such as my tummy and my buttocks and my boobs.

 

“Easy Curves is a woman-run company whose main focus is to assist women to have better control of their bodies using inner garments so that they can wear whatever outfit and be fully confident based on the control they have,” shares Sonia.

 

Read more about Sonia’s journey here.

 

Stacey Jane Smith is the brains behind African Secret, a female-owned business based in Cape Town that produces wellness personal care products to relieve common ailments and uplift both physical and emotional well-being.

 

Her interest in natural ingredients and natural remedies for common ailments sparked when she was pregnant.

 

“I became aware of the many harmful ingredients found in commercial products, and that’s when I started developing personal care products using natural ingredients. What started as a hobby, and a way to protect my child from harmful ingredients, soon sparked interest from friends, family and neighbours with the irresistible natural aromas of my concoctions, and that interest soon turned into sales.”

 

Read more about Stacey Jane’s journey here.

 

If you are a female founder/CEO and would like to participate in the Women in Business Programme for 2020, apply now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiona Tabraham

Fiona Tabraham is a strategic workforce development expert with a career founded on a resolute commitment to inclusivity, talent nurturing, and societal impact. Chief Executive of CAPACITI Digital Career Accelerator, Fiona’s passion for equity has charted pathways across numerous organisations, guiding bespoke Talent Initiatives, Future Leadership Development Programs, and transformative Career Pathway Development. Her tenure at Network Rail bore inclusive talent strategies, STEM advocacy, and innovative Graduate, Apprentice, and Internship initiatives. A trusted partner to a number of governmental, corporate and impact driven entities, Fiona empowers individuals and organisations, fostering diverse recruitment practices and innovative talent strategies. Fiona’s impact transcends the tech sector, positioning her as a leading voice for inclusive digital career initiatives.