Premier celebrates women in business

To mark Women’s Month, Premier Alan Winde this week visited several businesses owned and managed by women in the south of Cape Town.

The Backyard Café, located in Bergvliet, was started in 2012 by Nikki Harding and her former business partner. Originally a furniture shop, the business has expanded and is now a neighbourhood favourite. Cradling her 9-week-old son, Nikki told Premier Winde, “We are proudly South African, proudly female.” She added, “It is not easy running a business, but it is still fun.”

The restaurant, which doubles as a custom-made interior design store, is run almost entirely by women staff and employs 14 people. The shop also houses a corporate gifting business, The Nuttery, owned by Ronel Prinsloo. Ronel launched her business in 2020 to open up new markets for local farmers and producers.

“I am always happy to see like-minded entrepreneurs like Nikki and Ronel forming partnerships. By working together, small business owners have a better chance of growing, and when businesses thrive, more jobs are created,” said the Premier.

The next stop was Holland Design and Letters in Grassy Park. “I love a challenge,” owner Chloe Dicks told Premier Winde as she recounted how she set up her business during the Covid-19 pandemic. This vibrant young woman taught herself coding and started her business which specialises in designing everything from brochures, pamphlets, and menus to offering IT training courses. “Is there anything you do not do,” joked the Premier.

Ms Dicks was well prepared for the Premier’s visit, with questions on how she can expand her entrepreneurial venture, with the help of the Western Cape Government (WCG). The Premier explained that small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs), such as hers, are the engines of the province’s economy and job creation. He added, “We are passionate about seeing SMMEs get off the ground and growing in our province. Through our SMME Booster Fund, we have been able to support 950 SMMEs across the Western Cape, sustaining 4 977 jobs since 2019.” He urged Chloe to apply to the fund.

Premier Winde concluded his community engagement by visiting the head offices of askOsca, a proudly Grassy Park-based business processing outsourcing (BPO) company that currently employs 51 women. What sets this company apart from most other BPO businesses is that it has its roots firmly in Grassy Park and aims to employ as many local residents as it can so that employees do not have to travel long distances to work and spend the bulk of their salaries on public transport.

This fast-growing sector is primarily youth-focused, with around 90%of employees being young people and 6 out of 10 employees in South Africa being women. According to Business Process Enable South Africa (BPESA), women contact centre agents make up two-thirds of the country’s BPO industry workforce.

Premier Winde praised the remarkable contribution women make in the Western Cape and South Africa. “I want to thank the women of our province who are making important and valuable contributions to improving our society. From our healthcare workers and teachers to our law enforcement officers and social workers – you exemplify the best of the Western Cape.