Following their successful training series on cloud computing, Huawei has run the second and third parts of their 2022 Women in Tech digital skills training for women entrepreneurs with sessions on Leadership Development and Digital Marketing.
Says Vanashree Govender, Huawei’s Media Relations and Communications Manager, “Over and above the technical training on digital migration and how Huawei’s cloud computing infrastructure can greatly assist SMEs, the first of these additional sessions was designed to assist the women to look at how they integrate business into a balanced home/work life and the importance of taking care of one’s self. The second illustrated with practical examples how they can leverage the power of social media and professional online platforms to maximise their visibility and increase sales for their businesses.”
Dr Jude Clark, Leadership Development Specialist, led the first webinar which included break-away group discussions, role playing and a lot of interaction with the delegates. She comments, “This course encouraged the women to look inside themselves, to take time to reflect on where they have come from, and how that impacts their responses to certain situations in their business and daily lives. It was designed to be thought provoking and challenging, and I believe the women saw that and derived immense benefit from the work we did together.”
She added, “If women business owners do not take time to nurture their own physical and mental well-being, they diminish their ability to lead and run the risk of burn out, to the detriment of themselves, their families and their businesses. “
Using solo reflection time and open discussion, the women confronted challenges of culture and gender, of over commitment and over burdening themselves, of negativity versus positivity and of acknowledging their individual strengths and weaknesses.
Delegate Aphiwe Tafeni, Founder and CEO of Olem Business Boutique, said she learned that she did not have to be everything to everyone. “It’s about not trying to fix problems that are not mine to resolve, and about being mindful and firm in your resolve. I feel so empowered by this session.”
Samu Gumbie, who calls herself, the Mompreneur added; “Even though the world is changing all around us, I learned that I must remain steadfast in my own personal beliefs and commitments.”
The final session, led by Grant Clark and Phumza Mthetwa took the women through the digital landscape and which social media platforms are best suited to which audience. But before they could evaluate where best to allocate their resources, the women were encouraged to review their business objectives, to identify and analyse their target audience.
“We gave the women tools they can use to focus their sales and marketing strategies and then on how and where to apply them. Many of these women are brilliant business people but they came to learn more about how they can gain exposure in local and even global markets through digital channels,” said Mthetwa, CEO of marketing agency Brand Ties.
Kgomotso Motshidi, MD of The Zora Group, learned how she can be a bigger player in the region by adopting more digital marketing practices into her business, “With the Africa Free Trade Area Agreement, I can grow my client base and have access to a broader African market for my products and services.”
In wrapping up Huawei’s second Women in Tech training for female entrepreneurs, Vanashree Govender said, “This is just the South African edition of a global programme which illustrates Huawei’s commitment to transformation in the tech sector and to bringing more women into the digital economy. This year’s cohort of delegates demonstrated their strength, resilience and commitment and they were all actively open to new learnings. We are so proud of them for their level of engagement and are looking forward to being part of their personal and professional growth going forward.”
