FROM TRADITIONAL to ENTREPRENEURIAL: SA WOMEN TAKE CHARGE

As South Africa celebrates Women's Month (observed throughout August), a significant spotlight needs to be placed on one of the country's most powerful yet often understated economic engines: female entrepreneurship.

Long before boardrooms were digitised and balance sheets globalised, women in South Africa have played a pivotal role in shaping local economies, from informal trading and township enterprise to founding some of the country's most resilient SMEs. Today, their impact is not only measurable but also essential, as women hold some of the most significant and prominent positions in South Africa, ranging from boardroom leaders within the mining sector to policy leaders within South Africa's key industry watchdogs and Ombudsmen. "As we reflect on our past and look toward an inclusive future, celebrating and supporting women-led enterprise is not simply a social imperative, it is a strategic one," says Dr Omolola Arise: Academic Programme Leader at the MANCOSA School of Accounting, Finance and Tax.

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Although women-led SMEs are typically smaller than those owned by men, they often generate more jobs due to their strong focus on social impact, community engagement, and inclusive hiring practices, particularly of other women