On April 1st, 2023, Dikane Consulting hosted a women's business lunch in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The event was a huge success, with a good number of women in attendance to hear from three inspirational speakers:, Aphiwe Tafeni from Olem Business Boutique, Brenda Matshego from Atlega Women & Youth and Thando Nombewu from Love Seed.
Aphiwe Tafeni, the first speaker, spoke on the strategic innovation and the importance of the communication industry and how entrepreneurs should be constantly curious, connecting to social media for knowledge, and keeping up with the news every day to stay informed. She stressed that topics like politics and other current events are just as important as focusing on one's business and its future. Tafeni emphasized the need to be strategic with the kind of clients one wants to work with and to continuously upskill oneself. Strategically, she mentioned how she was mostly head-hunted for opportunities via LinkedIn and how entrepreneurs should strategically use their platforms to shape their brand and connect with good business potentials.
The second speaker, Brenda Matshego, focused on the importance of mentorship and stakeholder relationships. She discussed how she is mentoring women and youth to become entrepreneurs and create sustainable solutions for themselves. She emphasized the need for self-development and to be self-driven. Brenda also discussed how joining different programs available in the entrepreneurial space can help one grow their business. She shared her personal experience with the Standard Bank Tholoana Program, which coached and mentored her in her personal growth and business compliance.
The final speaker, Thando Nombewu from Love Seed, spoke on building meaningful connections in business. She shared her personal journey, including an 8-year jail sentence of which she served four years, and how she formalized her music career from being just a hobby. Nombewu emphasized the importance of connecting one's business to people who can add value to it and taking advantage of government funding opportunities. She believes that our achievements are based on meaningful connections.
The event was a wonderful opportunity for women entrepreneurs to learn from successful businesswomen and gain inspiration and motivation for their own ventures. Andiswa Madikane from Dikane Consulting expressed her excitement and appreciation for the engagement and how well the gathering was received by the audience.
Dikane Consulting's women's business lunch was a great success, It was a reminder that women entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with and that meaningful connections and mentorship are crucial to success in the business world.