When Covid-19 19 kicked in almost two years ago, many businesses shut and that includes actress and businesswoman Phindile Gwala-Ngandu's. The sudden halt pushed innovation on her part and she came up with her brain child she dubbed the Virtual Accelerator Programme created for women in business.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE, the 35-year old said she wanted to help women in particular using her platform at no cost to the entrepreneurs.
“It was when my car wash and tshisa nyama was closed due to the pandemic and I thought of how other business owners and their families were also affected. I decided to tap into their world by creating solutions that will survive through and after the pandemic.”
The online platform is tailormade for women, something the actress was intentional about. Phindile said she drew from her own experiences that women were not really high up on the list of priorities.
“It was very important because women haven’t been taken seriously in the business industry. I personally tried several times to get funds and grants with no luck. I’ve sat in unproductive meetings that only lead to empty promises and many other women are experiencing the same reality. To be a woman in the country you have to work two times more to make it.”
Here is a Q&A session the actress did with TshisaLIVE.
How would this platform work?
“Each woman will have to fill in the form online and this is for those with registered and unregistered companies simply because it will mean extra cost to register a company for this particular platform and not be selected. We are considering SA-based entrepreneurs.”
Do you have set criteria as to who can join?
Every women in business can join and we are not restricting those with ideas. They are welcome to apply too.
Have you partnered with other entities to realise this ?
I’ve partnered with other business individuals in SA and abroad to mentor the selected women and I also have people in marketing, PR, finance, sales and so on.
I have partnered with Symaxx Digital who specialise in SEO and web design and will design websites for the selected women. We are turning the digital world into a women fired and filled industry.
Do you wish something like this existed when you started out?
Of course I do. It would have made things easier and accelerated growth for women in business.
How long did it take for you to find your feet and be comfortable running your business ?
It took me some time and I’m not sure about being comfortable because you can’t be comfortable when running a business as this always keeps you on your toes. It's dog eats dog out there and every day is a new day with different possibilities but we soldier on.
What fuels your entrepreneurial spirit?
“Knowing I’m capable of achieving what I put my mind to and realising I can also open up space for others fuels me up everyday. Daily I try to reach out to one soul and make their day. One day you will be filled with great outcomes.
When is the launch date for the virtual accelerator programme?
It was launched on February 24 2022 during International Women's Week. I see women in SA becoming a strong digital generation that will produce great future leaders in the ICT space.
Phindile Gwala-Ngandu launches an online platform to help businesswomen
Image: Supplied
When Covid-19 19 kicked in almost two years ago, many businesses shut and that includes actress and businesswoman Phindile Gwala-Ngandu's. The sudden halt pushed innovation on her part and she came up with her brain child she dubbed the Virtual Accelerator Programme created for women in business.
Speaking to TshisaLIVE, the 35-year old said she wanted to help women in particular using her platform at no cost to the entrepreneurs.
“It was when my car wash and tshisa nyama was closed due to the pandemic and I thought of how other business owners and their families were also affected. I decided to tap into their world by creating solutions that will survive through and after the pandemic.”
The online platform is tailormade for women, something the actress was intentional about. Phindile said she drew from her own experiences that women were not really high up on the list of priorities.
“It was very important because women haven’t been taken seriously in the business industry. I personally tried several times to get funds and grants with no luck. I’ve sat in unproductive meetings that only lead to empty promises and many other women are experiencing the same reality. To be a woman in the country you have to work two times more to make it.”
Here is a Q&A session the actress did with TshisaLIVE.
How would this platform work?
“Each woman will have to fill in the form online and this is for those with registered and unregistered companies simply because it will mean extra cost to register a company for this particular platform and not be selected. We are considering SA-based entrepreneurs.”
Do you have set criteria as to who can join?
Every women in business can join and we are not restricting those with ideas. They are welcome to apply too.
Have you partnered with other entities to realise this ?
I’ve partnered with other business individuals in SA and abroad to mentor the selected women and I also have people in marketing, PR, finance, sales and so on.
I have partnered with Symaxx Digital who specialise in SEO and web design and will design websites for the selected women. We are turning the digital world into a women fired and filled industry.
Do you wish something like this existed when you started out?
Of course I do. It would have made things easier and accelerated growth for women in business.
How long did it take for you to find your feet and be comfortable running your business ?
It took me some time and I’m not sure about being comfortable because you can’t be comfortable when running a business as this always keeps you on your toes. It's dog eats dog out there and every day is a new day with different possibilities but we soldier on.
What fuels your entrepreneurial spirit?
“Knowing I’m capable of achieving what I put my mind to and realising I can also open up space for others fuels me up everyday. Daily I try to reach out to one soul and make their day. One day you will be filled with great outcomes.
When is the launch date for the virtual accelerator programme?
It was launched on February 24 2022 during International Women's Week. I see women in SA becoming a strong digital generation that will produce great future leaders in the ICT space.
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