JOHANNESBURG, South Africa 8 March 2023 – In honour of International Women's Day, Entrepreneur Connect Africa (ECAfrica) a movement to amplify entrepreneurship in Africa has announced the launch of #ECAfrica100/2023, a multi-media campaign aimed at supporting and amplifying women's equity in business. The campaign will showcase the achievements of 100 women entrepreneurs in South Africa, creating a platform for them to connect, collaborate, and inspire the next generation of female leaders. ECAfrica aims to provide a pipeline of validated entrepreneurs who are investment ready and willing to partner, ultimately driving economic growth and empowerment for women in Africa.

The #ECAfrica 100 / 2023 campaign will include crafting and designing a range of multimedia content, including videos, podcasts, and social media posts. The content will feature interviews with 100 women entrepreneurs from across South Africa, highlighting their experiences, challenges, and successes in the business world especially their lessons in building forward from pandemic economies and tapping into the opportunities technology enables.

"Government spending into Black Women owned businesses remain an opportunity to transform our economies yet even in a technology era the gap to connect opportunity with validated credible entrepreneurs is widening. Research has found that while a lack of funds is a driving force behind these business closures, so too is the lack of access to marketing and PR Services. Small businesses face additional challenges of a lack of expertise and funds when tackling their marketing campaigns. This results in a misuse of funds and a decrease in visibility in the market’, says 25 year old Taynita Harilal co-founder of ECAfrica who also kick starts her PhD programme at Wits Business School.

“Through this campaign, we hope to inspire and empower women entrepreneurs in South Africa and to showcase their achievements to investors, BBBEE and other enablers. The #ECAfrica 100 / 2023 campaign will also include a series of events and workshops designed to provide women entrepreneurs with the skills and resources they need to succeed in the business world. These events will be held in partnership with a range of organizations and businesses across South Africa, including beyond International Women’s day to show our commitment to building a credible validated network of suppliers’, explains Harilal which she says is important to showcase how  women have a vital role to play in driving economic growth and creating jobs in Africa, and we are committed to supporting and promoting their entrepreneurship journey,".

We believe by using technology to centralise and create content that focuses and intentionally showcases entrepreneurs from across South Africa, we can create a powerful network of support and collaboration," elaborates Taynita Harilal who says ECafrica is excited to be launching this campaign on International Women's Day and look forward to working with women entrepreneurs to create a more equitable and inclusive business world.

The #ECAfrica 100 / 2023 campaign has already gained significant support on social media, with many entrepreneurs sharing their own stories and experiences using the hashtag #ECAfrica100. The campaign has also received support from several leading organizations and businesses across South Africa. “Over the next few weeks in our efforts to connect to enablers and investors who can help us build and empower our digital social marketing campaign we also want to create a pilot to demonstrate how living in a ChatGPT and AI era it’s critical to amplify and use technology to document and create compelling story telling that profiles our entrepreneurship to help drive investments and open new markets,’ concludes Taynita Harilal who is inviting investors, collaborators and networks to partner with ECAfrica.

To ensure that we cover as much ground as possible, we are inviting female-led businesses to apply to be profiled in our #ECAfrica 100 / 2023 multimedia campaign. We are looking for 100 outstanding entrepreneurs who are making a significant impact in their industries and communities. If you believe that your business fits this description, we encourage you to apply. To be considered favorably, please send an email to media@jtcomms.co.za and include the following information:

Name of Business

Business Registration Number

Primary Contact Person

Office number

Mobile number

Email:

Company Profile

Resume of Contact Person

Letter of Motivation

We are excited to receive your applications and look forward to showcasing the achievements of women entrepreneurs in South Africa.

For more information on the #ECAfrica 100 - 2023 campaign, please visit www.ecafrica.net

For Media interviews contact JT Comms on Media@jtcomms.co.za  or (011) 788 7632 or 083 954 6133

Issued by JT Communication Solutions on behalf of #ECAfrica – www.ecafrica.net