The President of Women in Business Association (WIBA) Botswana, Tumi Mbaakanyi, has advised her fellow female bosses to make their products as visible as possible if they want to succeed.
Speaking on Friday at the Women’s Day Commemoration held at Wharic Park in Gaborone, Mbaakanyi admitted it is often difficult to support local brands because of their poor marketing.
“WIBA is helping to uplift local women in businesses. Do your marketing properly, brand businesses properly so that it can be easy to know where they can find your products. Use different mediums like social media to market your business for free. Women, let’s support each other and collaborate; that’s what the mind-set change is about,” she urged.
Organised by the South Africa High Commissioner to Botswana, Thaninga Shope-Soumah, in collaboration with South African Business Forum, the event was themed, ‘Women Socio Economic Rights and Empowerment: Building Back Better for Women’s Improved Resilience’.
Soumah explained the special get-together is organised annually to celebrate Women’s Month and pay tribute the 20, 000 plus women who marched to the union buildings in Pretoria on the 9 August 1956, in protest at the extension of harsh laws to women.
“The march was a success as it marked a significant turning point in the struggle against the unjust apartheid laws and led to significant changes towards the emancipation of women in South Africa,” revealed the High Commissioner with great pride.
“We have gathered here today, to celebrate women in business, who have put a lot of effort into defining themselves as contributors to the economy of the country. This is our first women entrepreneurs’ event and we plan to have another one next year, particularly because we shall be celebrating 30 years of diplomatic relations between Botswana and South Africa,” added Soumah.
For her part, Assistant Minister of Trade, Beauty Manake said the event provides a platform for upcoming businesses to showcase their skills and products and inform participants of available funding to grow their business.
“It is aimed at increasing women participation in the economy,” mentioned Manake.
