Twelve aspiring and current young South African women entrepreneurs in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector have been selected to participate in the Maxum Business Incubator's Empowering Women in ICT Programme (EWICT).
The sponsored professional development programme was initiated by The Innovation Hub's Maxum Business Incubator in collaboration with the Meridian International Centre, the University of Maryland Baltimore County's Centre for Women in Information Technology (CWIT) and Maryland Women in Technology (MDWIT).
The 12 women were selected from a group of over 60 applicants and represent four provinces across South Africa. According to Busi Ngwenya of Maxum, they also cover a diverse range of businesses.
"We are very excited about the quality of entrepreneurship in this group. One of the ladies was part of the company that developed the popular instant mobile messaging application, MXIT. Another of the candidates produces 3D animation, specialising in South African stories. She has had her films screened in Ster-Kinekor and Nu Metro cinemas throughout December, January and February as a curtain-raisers to blockbuster Hollywood films and her films are also broadcasted weekdays on SABC2 at 16:30."
The group includes Helene de Ridder of SkillsTrac, one of the current incubatees at Maxum.
The two-year programme will start with an orientation workshop on 28 March, where the candidates will receive an overview of EWICT setting out the expectations and format of the programme and get an opportunity to interact with successful South African women in ICT.
This will be followed by a three-week study tour in Maryland, USA, consisting of a series of workshops, roundtable meetings, panel discussions, networking events, site visits to business incubators, and two days of 'shadowing' successful US women entrepreneurs.
On their return to South Africa, the women will be mentored for a further 24 months to assist them to develop and grow their businesses. The Cape Information Technology Initiative - a networking and cluster development agency for the Western Cape's ICT sector - is partnering with Maxum in this initiative and will provide the six candidates from Cape Town with six months of mentorship support. According to Ngwenya, once they are back in South Africa, those candidates who are able to do so will be expected to become affiliated with a business incubator in their area and, for those who cannot, Maxum will provide physical and/or virtual mentorship to assist them to start or grow their businesses.
"During the course of the programme, our partners in the US will also come to South Africa to hold three regional workshops. The intention is to expand the influence of this group and for them to also empower other South African women in ICT," she adds.
Ngwenya says the objective of the programme is to develop role models to encourage other South African women to start and develop ICT businesses. "We are hoping to see spin-offs from this programme, such as more organisations wanting to invest in similar initiatives, or prominent women in ICT contributing to mentorship. The intention is really to involve more women in this sector of the economy."
The candidates selected for the EWICT programme are: Claire Burge, Sibongiseni Dakela, Helene de Ridder, Telezita Dooling, Jo Duxbury, Rashana Kassiem, Leslie Maliepaard, Lebohang Motsohi, Zelda Poo, Yanesh Ramiah, Jerushah Rangasami, and Isabelle Rorke.
For more information on EWICT, contact Busi Ngwenya at bngwenya@theinnovationhub.com or on +27 12 844 0033.
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