PIVOT POINT: National Empowerment Fund
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Zama Khanyile who is the Divisional Executive for Venture Capital and Corporate Finance at the National Empowerment Fund (NEF) talks about Just a little background that you may be aware of, the NEF was funded by Government in 2004 to the tune of R2.4 billion and since its operational inception in 2005, the NEF has approved a total of R12.77 billion across the country with a total project value of R21.44 billion. Over the past 12 years, 40% of the funding has been for the benefit of women-owned and managed businesses.
That is why all over the country, majority of beneficiaries from our entrepreneurship training, our incubation support as well as investor education interventions are women and many of them come from rural and peri-urban localities.
As we discussed, there has been and rightfully so, a distinct call for the industrialisation of South Africa’s economy. It is the conviction of a growing mass in our country that this quest will only find true fruition if women stand at the centre and forefront of this urgent and historic pursuit.
These potential female industrialists are those who would see prospects for growing the export market in a variety of sectors, including renewable energy, tourism, minerals beneficiation, agro-processing and business process outsourcing, which incorporates call centres, data storage centres, termination centres and more.
These potential women industrialists would see opportunities in textiles, mining; automobiles; renewable energy and biofuels, whether this is nuclear, solar, biomass, hydro, co-generation or wind. As visionaries for large-scale enterprises, these black industrialists would have an eye on plastics; pharmaceuticals and chemicals; forestry, pulp and paper. They will see opportunities in infrastructure, which of course includes telecommunications, healthcare, roads, rail, airports, dams and water. These industrialists would want to become players in manufacturing and tourism, which encompasses hotels, resorts, tourism attractions and leisure.
And as we discussed it is when women rise to take their places in the economy that they will find DFIs such as the NEF to provide financial and non-financial support hence our desire to engage with Kaya fm listeners.
That is why all over the country, majority of beneficiaries from our entrepreneurship training, our incubation support as well as investor education interventions are women and many of them come from rural and peri-urban localities.
As we discussed, there has been and rightfully so, a distinct call for the industrialisation of South Africa’s economy. It is the conviction of a growing mass in our country that this quest will only find true fruition if women stand at the centre and forefront of this urgent and historic pursuit.
These potential female industrialists are those who would see prospects for growing the export market in a variety of sectors, including renewable energy, tourism, minerals beneficiation, agro-processing and business process outsourcing, which incorporates call centres, data storage centres, termination centres and more.
These potential women industrialists would see opportunities in textiles, mining; automobiles; renewable energy and biofuels, whether this is nuclear, solar, biomass, hydro, co-generation or wind. As visionaries for large-scale enterprises, these black industrialists would have an eye on plastics; pharmaceuticals and chemicals; forestry, pulp and paper. They will see opportunities in infrastructure, which of course includes telecommunications, healthcare, roads, rail, airports, dams and water. These industrialists would want to become players in manufacturing and tourism, which encompasses hotels, resorts, tourism attractions and leisure.
And as we discussed it is when women rise to take their places in the economy that they will find DFIs such as the NEF to provide financial and non-financial support hence our desire to engage with Kaya fm listeners.
