The annual World Economic Forum on Africa will see a selection of impressive women tech entrepreneurs taking center stage in Durban, South Africa, with the aim of showcasing the wealth of entrepreneurial talent available on the continent.
The 2017 meeting runs from Wednesday, May 3 to Friday, May 5, and will be conducted with the wider theme of “Achieving inclusive growth through responsive and responsible leadership” in mind.
Inclusive growth is one of the main subjects that will drive discussions in Durban this week, which is pertinent as the International Monetary Fund forecasts for sub-Saharan African growth are at the lowest level in 20 years, according to ENCA.
Among the many issues that will be discussed at the WEF meeting, topics such as Africa’s infrastructure gap, the digital divide, financial inclusion, improving healthcare and the promotion of intra-regional trade will be fundamental talking points.
Women continue to be an important driver of African economies, with one-third of all businesses across Africa owned by women, according to WeForum.
In the second annual search for promising African women entrepreneurs, the World Economic Forum have identified six business leaders who have succeeded in sectors that include renewable energy, urban farming, fin tech, the sharing economy and agricultural tech.
Selected from hundreds of entries, the young entrepreneurs from South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and Uganda will be involved in discussions about boosting entrepreneurship in Africa, as well as preparing for the fourth industrial revolution, according to TheCitizen.
They will use their expertise and experience in the African marketplace to inspire others and help shape policy through valuable input in important forum debates.
Oluwayimika Angel Adelaja – Fresh Direct, Nigeria.
Adelaja’s company pioneered stackable container farms, which help urban populations to access high-quality produce, reduce stress on land-use and reduce the need to import vegetables.
Temie Giwa-Tubosun – LifeBank, Nigeria.
Giwa-Tubosun’s company deploys digital supply chain strategy that enables the delivery of blood and other high-value medical products to hospitals and health centers.
Esther Karwera – Akorion, Uganda.
Karwera’s company has developed software that integrates smallholder farmers into digital value chains, helping them to sell their farming products directly to agribusinesses.
Darlene Menzies – FinFind, South Africa.
Menzies’ company explains and aggregates all sources of SME finance, improving access to capital for entrepreneurs and assisting lenders in the identification of quality loan leads.
Aisha Pandor – SweepSouth, South Africa.
Pandor’s innovative company uses sophisticated algorithms to match customers and housekeepers, creating flexible working opportunities and helping to elevate the status of housekeepers in South Africa.
Charity Wanjiku – Strauss Energy, Kenya.
Wanjiku’s company produces solar roofing tiles that are able to undercut the cost of conventional solar tiles by 30 percent, promoting renewable energy access.
