Stories of Change: Women in local economic development 

Many women in Southern Africa are the main breadwinners for their families, not only providing for the basics but also trying to earn enough to enable their children to have a good education and improve their lives.

These women are often vulnerable - they may be widows, single parents, or survivors of gender-based violence. With private employment difficult to find, many have established small businesses - both formal and informal - or other initiatives to bring in an income to feed their families. This can be a struggle, and many women have seen their businesses hit particularly hard during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Women entrepreneurs often have no formal skills of training so upskilling is crucial for their businesses to thrive and be sustainable. The two-year Connecting the Dots project has established four Commonwealth Women in Local Economic Development (WLED) networks and has supported many female entrepreneurs in Southern Africa to develop and improve their business skills, enabling them to put their businesses on a firmer footing, know how to access funding, and to embrace the digital world to take advantage of e-commerce and e-trading opportunities.

“I have received the much needed comfort and solutions to some of the challenges I face in business just by picking up a phone and 
communicating with other network members.”

Nelice Nyoni, poultry farmer, Luansha, Zambia

These are the stories of some of the women who have taken part in the project.

Eswatini

A growing business
After attending CLGF’s women’s conference at Pigg’s Peak, Jabulile Nkhambule has been able to make a step change in her approach to her vegetable business. With a better understanding of how to run a business, she now has big plans for the future to make her business more sustainable by growing her own so she does not have to rely on supply chains.
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Bigger piggery in Pigg’s Peak
With increasing demand for pig meat products, pig farmer Khethiwe Lukhele started in a small way but has been gradually growing her business. Thanks to the learning she received from the Connecting the Dots WLED workshops, Khethiwe has been able to raise the necessary finance and develop and implement a plan to increase her stock and then buy her own place to create a bigger piggery. 
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Cutting her cloth and costs
Learning the principles of managing a business through the Connecting the Dots project has not only helped Nombuso Dlamini to take a more professional approach and rationalise and grow her own dressmaking business, but by being involved in the WLED network she is now an influencer and teacher for young people in the area who want to start up in business.
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Benefits of bookkeeping
After being selected to take part in the Connecting the Dots project, Thembisile Maziye has learned key business skills to put her chicken business on track. Better bookkeeping has enabled her to keep essential records so that she can now determine her profits and has money to spare not only to restock, but also for vital services to improve her family’s quality of life such as connecting her home to the main water supply.
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Business skills back Maggie’s big switch
After being involved in an innovative recycling project, and successfully exhibiting and selling at a trade fair, Covid-19 hit Maggie Dlamini very hard. Future trade fairs were cancelled, leaving Maggie with the prospect of no income. But Maggie was not to be beaten and has shown her resilience. Using some of the skills she had learned from recycling, Maggie made a big switch and set up a compost making and vegetable growing business. The new business skills Maggie learned through her involvement in the Connecting the Dots project has helped her to keep her new venture afloat, better manage her money and plan for a brighter future.
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Zambia  

One stop shop for new mothers
Natasha Zulu’s business to provide everything for newborn babies is now booming now that she has formally registered her company and widened her products and services to become a one-stop shop for expectant and new mothers thanks to the support she received from the WLED network.
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Eggsellent returns for poultry business
Thanks to the training and support Jennipher Mwenya has received from the WLED project she has been able to get her poultry business back on track to boost her family’s income. Now she wants to expand to a more commercial scale, giving the local community a better service and greater choice.
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Healthy food leads to healthier profits 
A restauranteur, Beverly Mumbi was badly affected by Covid-19, but has turned things round thanks to WLED training and mentorship which has taught her how to improve marketing and build a good after sales service resulting in a growing number of customers visiting her restaurant and allowing her to take on new staff.
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Taking stock to boost profits
Introducing new products, combined with a rise in the local population has been a win-win for Felistus Tindi’s grocery business. Thanks to the business skills she learned at the WLED workshops, she has been able to capitalise on these opportunities and has invested in her business to grow it, resulting in bigger profits. She is able to afford to fund her children’s education.
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Selling clothes with confidence
Despite losing business during the Covid pandemic, Katoba TambaYamba has a new confidence and is now seeing improvements in her clothing sales after attending the Connecting the Dots WLED workshops and having the support of other business women in the local WLED network.
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Delivering catering services differently
Priscilla Mutale had just started her own catering business when Covid struck, resulting in a big impact on customer numbers and income. Not to be deterred, Priscilla took the opportunity to join the WLED network and attend the Connecting the Dots capacity building workshops. By learning how to diversity her offer to customers, Priscilla has been inspired to expand her food business, start selling online and open a catering school to help unemployed young people to learn new skills. Going from strength to strength, she has now built her own restaurant and shops to offer more services and employment to local people.
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Counting on customers boosts sales
Capitalising on a demand for new products and using the newly acquired marketing and customer relations skills learned during the WLED workshops, Cecilia Mwewa has turned round her chicken and fish business and increased sales. The increase in business has meant she can employ other people and bring benefits for the local community.
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