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Covid-19: Keep a social distance of at least one metre with people; Stay home and self-isolate from others in the household if you feel unwell; Don’t touch your eyes, nose, or mouth if your hands are not clean.
Imbokodo Iyazenzela winners and dignitaries: Nokuthula Memela, Cllr. Vusi Mngadi, Pearl Bengu GCE Ithala Development Finance Corporation, Philisiwe Mkhonza, MEC EDTEA Nomusa Dube-Ncube and Sibongiseni Mthethwa
REWARDING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS
World Bank research shows that female entrepreneurs make significant contributions to economic growth and poverty reduction world- wide, MEC Dube-Ncube told women at Ithala Development Finance Corporations’ Imbokodo Iyazenzela Awards, at a gala dinner held at Durban’s ICC.
“In the United States, for example, women-owned firms are growing at more than double the rate of all other firms. They contribute nearly $3 trillion to the economy and are directly responsible for 23 million jobs,” she said.
SMME and cooperative programmes are critical vehicles used by government to bridge the gap between the country’s first and second economies. “The cooperative programme has two very specific objectives, namely to provide food security and to create economic activity at a very basic community level. It is comforting when ordinary women from deep rural areas and townships testify that through cooperative programme, they have been able to support their families.”
Over the years, Ithala has approved R478 million in SMME loans to more than 465 enterprises in agricultural, manufacturing, services, construction, energy, tourism and other sectors, which have created more than 3 552 jobs.
FACT
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