First week(s) in Cape Town!

There we are!!
We are already for two weeks in business in Cape Town. After a weekend of settling in and do a little sightseeing in Cape Town, Monday was the kick-off day. In the Netherlands we have arranged meetings throughout our stay to set up a sustainable project in terms of female entrepreneurship. Our focus in the first week was about discussing the status quo of female entrepreneurship in Cape Town. It was important for us to know in depth what is going on and from that point we developed ourselves as experts on this field. From this point, we could sell our project to stakeholders and other potential investors. At the moment, it is client hunting. We’ve already talked to the University of the Western Cape and to the CEO of Business Bridge as well as to the social entrepreneurial initiative called Mhani Gingi. Those institutes could be potential investors for this project. So things are going great!

In addition, we decided to conduct a pilot study by giving workshops to a group of 8 female entrepreneurs on Saturdays. From this point, we can easily see where the focus should be put on in terms of learning skills. This study will show us were the needs are of the ladies and by knowing this, we can target potential investors better and sell our project. Providing these workshops is also for us such a learning curve. You get to know the South-African culture in depth. One of those ladies organized on Women’s Day (which is a national holiday especially for women) a network gathering for her business with inspirational speakers. It was already a culture shock, since this event was organized in Mount Nelson, one of the most prestigious hotels in Cape Town. She wanted to raise funds with this project, by spending an enormous amount of money, which looks very contradicting. The workshops we are running provide an enormous learning point for the females, for example in terms of goal setting: setting a timeline, specify the vision of their business and also to make it achievable.

We are looking for the upcoming days to get to know more in depth the above-mentioned institutions where we are planning to cooperate with. We´ll keep you posted!

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Soon SAFE is in Cape Town!

In a couple of days, the SAFE team will be in Cape Town!! We are looking forward to put our ideas and our mission a step further and finally into practice!:-) In the last weeks we have been working on the specific contents of the different business related workshops we are going to conduct with eight women who are owning a business together with a non profit organisation (Releasing Eagles). The founder of the organisation is Candice Booysen and an experienced industrial psychologist, coach and mentor of these women. This cooperation was established in order to create and implement a self-sustaining community through mentorship as well as the development of women leadership and business management skills. In each of the five weeks of our stay we are conducting a workshop to a different business topic which we have identified during the interviews with the ladies. The challenge ist o bring them all on one level and to make them thinking about a solution about their business and problems which they are currently facing. The businesses for example differ from a hairdresser shop to a small coffee shop or to an educational „math lab“-providing mathematic education to young people. Also their ages and experiences in „being an entrepreneur“ varies-however, we have designed an interesting and interactive programme for the ladies and we are excited how the next weeks and the workshop will run. Right now, we are finalizing the details and are in close contact with Candice.

Besides that, we have planned our first weeks of meetings with relevant stakeholders for the empowerment of female entrepreneurship in Cape Town. Some contacts were already established from the previous team, and some we established through our own research and network about the topic. Our goal is to connect and collaborate together with educational institutions, private organizations who want to commit to female entrepreneurship in a long-term perspective as well as to governmental institutions such as the local chamber of commerce. Together we are aiming to promote leadership skills for entrepreneurial women in Cape Town, ideally from disadvantaged communities which unleashes them to initiate change in their communities.
We do that with the support of the stakeholders we are going to meet in Cape Town as well as with the advice we have already received from previous meetings about encouraging female entrepreneurship here in the Netherlands.

Together we are aiming to:
-support and encourage individual and community business related skills and leadership development for women in Cape Town (as a start in South Africa)
-provide education and support for women to actively participate at decision-making levels of society.

With the SAFE initiative we think that economic sustainability in the society of South Africa can be a reached. In addition to that, these Alliance members are seen as catalysts who support collaborative action to accelerate change and scale impact.

We´ll keep you posted about the upcoming days! And: if you have 2 minutes,
connect us with a person or organization that could support us!
We are looking for contacts! Just email us your contact and copy us and we will take it from here:
viracsouthafrica@gmail.com
Of course, your thoughts, ideas and advice with regards to this topic is always welcome! You can also check out our facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/CPTsafe?fref=ts

Have a good day!

SAFE Team

SAFE in local german newspaper!

#newspaper #article #safe #awareness #female #entrepreneurship

Last week, the SAFE project had it´s first footprint in a local german newspaper called “Neue Westfälische” in Lübbecke, North-Rhine Westphalia. One of our team members, Franziska, told them about the mission and goals of the SAFE project. The team will head to South Africa in August to help and support entrepreneurial females in and around the townships in Capetown to gain economic independence and future prospects. This is done by conducting workshops with local female entrepreneurs and institutions for teaching entrepreneurship. The article raised awareness for the public and also for several small-and medium sized entreprises from the region, which are hidden champions in their field of expertise. The SAFE project hopes to have raised awareness and interest for the importance of encouraging female entrepreneurship, not only in the local regions, but especially in the townships of South Africa in Capetown. Here are a few outlines from the article, translated in english:

“Our team is working together with seven small entrepreneurs in the townships. One of them is brickyard owner Ayanda . She has  already four staff members in her small company . However, a long-term oriented business plan is lacking, says the 26- year-old young woman. ” I’m having trouble with the management of the business and an annual planning of my business.”

The SAFE Team will help the young entrepreneur in corporate planning and will develop together with Ayanda a strategy for her company , analyze business strengths and weaknesses. “The project combines social entrepreneurship with South Africa and gives me the opportunity to learn further research and consulting experience.” says Franziska.

Especially the personal development of young entrepreneurs is be encouraged by the student project . Because, we think that the future of South Africa is carried by the shoulders of women and their hidden potentials. “Only with them and through them real changes are possible,” says Franziska Lingemann.

The full article (in german) can be reached here

SAFE project continues

In our previous post we indicated that we are working with 7 entrepreneurs in Cape Town. Desk research still continues in South Africa and the Netherlands. We have received business profiles from these women in Cape Town. In addition we had telephone and skype calls with these entrepreneurs and other stakeholders. We are trying by every means to have a way forward that can help each and everyone of you. At the moment we are looking for donors, well wishers, companies that can help us in cash or kind to make our projects possible. We believe that the future of women in Cape Town is in their hands. For donations, please follow this link http://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/18326-south-african-female-entrepreneurship-projekt

South Africa Celebrates Freedom Day

Freedom Day is a South Africa public holiday celebrated on 27 April. South Africans celebrate freedom and commemorates the first post-apartheid elections held on that day in 1994. They were the first national elections in South Africa in which the franchise did not depend upon race. As SAFE project, we wish South Africans a happy Freedom day and all the best in their  endeavors. 

We also want to wish the female entrepreneurs in Cape Town  a lot more freedom days. As we work with them to make better days in their lives, we kindly ask donations from individuals and companies either in cash or in kind. For more information about fundraising, please follow this link 

https://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/18326-south-african-female-entrepreneurship-projekt 

ABOUT FUNDRAISING

The program still goes on and it is our mission to help females in the townships of Cape Town. At the moment, we are doing desk research to make sure that when we come to Cape Town, everything will go well. We have seven (7) talented females in Cape Town who need to acquire entrepreneurial skills and start their own businesses. However, for our program to be successful, we need sponsorship. We are kindly asking for donations from companies and individuals. Whatever you can donate, no matter how small or big, it all counts. Please lets help vulnerable women in Cape Town. For more information, please follow the link http://www.betterplace.org/de/projects/18326-south-african-female-entrepreneurship-projekt

CAPE TOWN FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS WE HAVE YOU IN OUR HEARTS

Our project, the South African Female Entrepreneurship (SAFE) is an entrepreneurial empowerment project that has pioneered in Cape Town. The aim is to empower women by helping them to tackle the business challenges that they are experiencing. Meeting these entrepreneurs and getting involved physically, emotionally and assisting them the best way we know how to do business is our goal. The sole aim is to make a difference in their business and lives!

Together with Releasing Eagles, a Non-Profit Organization (NPO) situated in Cape Town, a plan is set up to coach, train and mentor seven female (starting) entrepreneurs in townships. Our objective is to provide help and support for starting or expanding businesses for the females between 16 to 25 years in order to create better living circumstances. However this in not our boundaries. Our project is ongoing and our aim is to empower as more women as possible