Ecobank Zimbabwe last week successfully hosted its Open Market Day and Exhibition in Bulawayo through Elevate, a women-focused programme.
Hosted in collaboration with the Organisation of Women in International Trade (OWIT), a globally recognised trade body that supports the advancement of women in business, the event was graced by Women Affairs, Community, Small and Medium Enterprises Development minister Monica Mutsvangwa, who hailed the programme.
“I am glad that OWIT is collaborating with us in promoting women's access to markets and today we witness the success of this collaboration and let it not be an event we want to continue to see as we move all the projects,” she said.
Ecobank Zimbabwe board member Promise Ncube said Elevate is a gender-based financing programme aimed at advancing the entrepreneurial spirit of women.
“We are targeting women as entrepreneurs as well as businesses with a focus on women to provide solutions to their challenges and unleash their entrepreneurial potential,” Ncube said.
“Elevate by Ecobank seeks to bridge some identified challenges that women face and offer solutions to those challenges.”
He noted that most women entrepreneurs were not able to articulate their dreams as financial institutions were not supportive of them.
“Women are, therefore, seen as high risk because they also cannot provide collateral and bankable guarantees; all this has made women to have limited access to finance,” Ncube said.
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OWIT president Buhlebenkosi Nyathi encouraged other women in businesses not to give up on their dreams.
“OWIT is a global organisation that fosters trade for every woman and in fostering trade we realised that it’s impossible for you in international trade to get to a place where they are able to export their products without starting from the bottom,” she said.
“So, believe in the organic approach, my encouragement is to join us. It’s not nice alone, it belongs and it’s for all of us.”
Elevate by Ecobank is designed to address the unique challenges faced by women owned and women-led businesses, providing them with accessible banking services and the financial support necessary to grow and sustain their enterprises.
