In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, digital literacy and access to public sector procurement opportunities are vital for the growth and sustainability of women-owned and led Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). Acknowledging these crucial needs, the Graça Machel Trust organised a transformative one-day training session on 8th August 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This training was meticulously designed to tackle the challenges that women entrepreneurs often face, particularly their limited knowledge of digital tools and the complexities surrounding public sector procurement processes.
Objectives of the training
The training session was guided by four primary objectives:
- Digital Competency: To equip women entrepreneurs with essential skills to effectively navigate and utilise digital tools, thereby enhancing their business operations.
- Market Expansion: To educate participants on leveraging online marketing and e-commerce platforms to broaden their market reach and customer base.
- Procurement Simplification: To simplify the public sector procurement process by providing clear, actionable guidelines on how to participate successfully.
- Networking and Collaboration: To facilitate networking opportunities, enabling women entrepreneurs to connect with key stakeholders and peers, fostering collaboration and mutual support.
Highlights of the training
The training session brought together 50 participants, including women entrepreneurs, expert trainers, and representatives from the Trust. The event was led by two specialised trainers—one focused on Digital Tools and the other on Public Sector Procurement Processes. To further enrich the learning experience, the public sector procurement trainer was accompanied by a government official who provided invaluable insights into the procurement landscape. This included practical advice on how entrepreneurs can better prepare for tender opportunities, conduct thorough research, and solidify their tender proposals.
The official also shared detailed knowledge on the regulatory framework governing public sector procurement, offered compliance guidance, and engaged with participants through a Q&A session. This interaction helped clarify participants’ understanding and boosted their confidence in navigating the often complex public sector procurement process.
A step towards advancement and growth
This one-day training marked a significant milestone in the Trust’s mission to support women entrepreneurs across Africa. By equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to leverage digital tools and navigate public sector procurement, the Trust is playing a pivotal role in supporting the economic growth and sustainability of women-led SMMEs. The training not only enhanced the participants’ business acumen but also fostered a strong spirit of collaboration and networking. This, in turn, is expected to contribute to their ongoing success in the competitive and ever-changing business environment.
As the Trust continues its efforts to support and uplift women entrepreneurs, the impact of such initiatives is clear: women are being supported to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and drive economic transformation across the continent.
The Trust supports and mobilises civil society networks on issues of ending child marriage, ending violence against children, ending female genital mutilation and promoting children’s rights, to carry out advocacy and action across Africa. Special focus is placed on Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia where child marriage continues to be a problem largely driven by poverty, gender inequality, harmful traditional practices, conflict, low levels of literacy, limited opportunities for girls and weak or non-existent protective and preventive legal frameworks.
Education is a fundamental right for all children, which is also a vehicle for social, economic and political transformation in communities, countries and the African continent at large. Recent studies indicate a lack of progress in some of the critical commitments aimed at improving education quality, access, retention and achievement, particularly for girls. In most African countries, girls may face barriers to learning, especially when they reach post-primary levels of education. By implementing multi-dimensional approaches to education which includes core education, personal development, life skills and economic competencies, the Trust partners with funding partners, governments, civil societies and the private sector to improve education access.
The Nutrition and Reproductive, Maternal, New-born, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition, (RMNCAH+N) of the Children’s Rights and Development Programme aims at promoting the Global Strategy for women, children and adolescents’ health within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda. The strategy emphasises on the importance of effective country leadership as a common factor across countries making progress in improving the health of women, children and adolescents.
Through its Early Childhood Development (ECD) plan, The Trust will seek to put into action the new science and evidence Report that was presented by Lancet Series on Good and early development – the right of every child. This will be achieved by mobilising like-minded partners to contribute in the new science and evidence to reach all young children with ECD. The Trust’s goal is to be a catalyst for doing things differently, in particular, to rid fragmentation and lack of coordination across ECD sectors. In response to evidence showing the importance of political will in turning the tide against the current poor access and quality of ECD. Even before conception, starting with a mother’s health and social economic conditions, the early years of a child’s life form a fundamental foundation that determines whether a child will survive and thrive optimally.