Women entrepreneurs in Kenya have set their eyes on discovering and amplifying their success in attaining revolutionary business solutions through innovation.
To advance this agenda, the Federation of Women Entrepreneur Associations (FEWA) is set to host a transformative networking event, “Innovative Africa” to address means through which women can progressively adopt innovation in business.
The Event themed, “Breakthrough To Excellence: Uncovering Business Opportunities that give you a Competitive Edge” is set to be held on April 4, 2018.
FEWA founder and chairperson Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert has said that investing in innovation is an important change in Africa’s traditional business model.
“Kenya has been widely recognised across the world as a hub for mobile money payments and this exemplifies the potential Africa has in the innovative space. There is still great room to leverage innovations across all industries to maximise on our potential,” said Joanne
Innovation has a multiplier effect on the growth of economies. However, to realise its maximum beneficial impact on countries, innovation needs to be inclusive and accompanied by relevant skills development.
“Women compose just over 50% of Africa’s rising population and their inclusion in social, political and economic spheres is critical if Africa is to reach elevated growth levels” asserted Joanne.
According to a report by Ernst and Young, due to limited possibilities for advancement in their home continent, a significant proportion of degreed African women, nearly a third at 28%, migrate out of Africa in search of suitable job opportunities. This is in contrast with only 17% of educated men.
The rallying call is now out for African women entrepreneurs to rise to the challenge of finding solutions for Africa.
“African women are very entrepreneurial, owning a third of all businesses across Africa,” she highlights. “However, many women entrepreneurs typically run microenterprises in the informal sector, often in businesses that reap low marginal returns due to minimal value addition on their products. This is a trend we need to change,” she emphasised.
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The networking event, to be held at Karen Country Club, will bring together renowned women CEOs, Founders and Corporate Heads who are pacesetters across Africa and beyond. Among those set to attend the breakfast event is Carole Kariuki (CEO, Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Wandia Gichuru (Managing Director and Co-founder, Vivo Activewear) and Maggie Ireri (Founder and Director, TIFA Research Ltd).
Also set to attend are Bidanya Barassa (Managing Director at Top Image Africa / Founder Bidanya Elite Club Mentorship Programme), Comfort Munoru (Behaviour Intervention Specialist) and Waceke Nduati (Founder, CEO and lead trainer, Centonomy).
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