DEPUTY MINISTER THABETHE ANNOUNCES THE 2014 TWIB AWARDS FINALISTS

DEPUTY MINISTER THABETHE ANNOUNCES THE 2014 TWIB AWARDS FINALISTS

The Deputy Minister of Small Business Development Department, Ms Elizabeth Thabethe accompanied by the Mpumalanga MEC for Finance, Economic Development and Tourism, Mr. Sikhumbuzo Eric Kholwane announced the finalists for the 2014 Technology for Women in Business (TWIB) Awards in Mbombela, Mpumalanga, yesterday.

In her keynote address, Deputy Minister Thabethe said the TWIB Awards were honouring South African small medium micro and emerging women entrepreneurs for their extraordinary achievements and contributions towards the growth of their enterprises.

“This is done through employing innovative technology methods in their operations to enhance production and grow as businesses,’’ said Thabethe.

Thabethe said government was no longer talking startups only, but advancement and expansions of women owned businesses, and through TWIB this has truly demonstrated that women are creative and innovative.

Speaking at the same event, MEC Kholwane said his department was working on the strategy for small businesses and cooperatives to support up and coming entrepreneurs in the province.

Kholwane added that education and skills development were key fundamentals to economic emancipation especially for women and youth.

The following were announced as finalists:

Small Business Category

Phindile Machweu of Sasamela Trading Enterprise and Projects (Limpopo)

Shammen Kumandan of Washtub Industrial Laundry services (Western Cape)

Very Small Category

Thembisile Sithole of G and T Auto Body (Gauteng)

Dudu Mofokeng of Legac’I Dry Cleaners and Laundry Services (Gauteng)

Micro-business Category

Tsholofelo Majeng of Maiktronix (Northern Cape)

Khaya Cokoto of X Spark Design and Advertising (Eastern Cape)

The overall winner will be announced on 30 October 2014 in Mbombela and will take home a non-financial Seda technology transfer intervention worth R600 000 and the Department of Small Business Development (DSBD) sponsored trip to attend the 2015 Global Summit of Women in Brazil.

The winners of micro-business, very small business and the small business categories will each get a non-financial support from Black Business Supplier Development Programme (BBSDP) worth R200 000 and laptops.

The purpose of the awards is to recognize and reward women entrepreneurs for the significant impact they have made in various sectors of the economy, through the application of technology in their businesses.