Durban – Government has partnered with ABSA to launch the EmpowerHer Market Trade Fair, a new initiative aimed at boosting women’s economic empowerment by connecting women-owned businesses with buyers, investors, procurement opportunities and new markets.
Launching the trade fair in Durban on Saturday to mark the start of Women’s Month, Minister in the Presidency for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities Sindisiwe Chikunga said women entrepreneurs continue to face significant barriers that prevent their businesses from growing.
“Many women entrepreneurs operate in informal or small-scale markets, and struggle to transition into sustainable, commercially viable enterprises,” Chikunga said.
She noted that women-owned businesses still face limited access to markets, finance, procurement opportunities and supply chains, adding that “there is a persistent gap between women-owned businesses and large corporations… and mainstream markets.”
#SANews | Government and the private sector have launched the EmpowerHer Market Trade Fair to advance women’s economic empowerment by creating opportunities for women-owned businesses to showcase their products and services, access new markets, establish business partnerships,… pic.twitter.com/glbcHnyjg8
— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) August 1, 2026
Chikunga said the trade fair is designed to bridge that gap by linking women entrepreneurs directly with government, corporates, financial institutions and investors.
“We aim to move beyond showcasing products, towards actual commercial transactions, investment, procurement opportunities, business partnerships, and long-term market linkages,” she said.
Describing the initiative as more than a networking event, the minister added: “This Trade Fair is not merely an exhibition — it is an economic empowerment and market access intervention.”
The event also offered entrepreneurs business pitch sessions, procurement discussions, finance desks and enterprise support clinics.
Chikunga criticised the limited economic inclusion of women-owned businesses, saying: “Too often, women-owned enterprises are visible in policy language, but invisible in actual value chains.”
She called for sustained action to ensure women, young entrepreneurs and persons with disabilities are fully integrated into the economy.
“We are here to insist that this must change… Today’s programme must therefore shift from once-off visibility to structured economic participation,” she said.
The minister stressed that supporting women-owned businesses benefits the broader economy, adding that government and its partners must improve coordination to remove barriers and create meaningful opportunities for inclusive economic growth.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
