By Dr Nthabeleng Mmako
Dr Nthabeleng Mmako is an entrepreneurship academic with research interests in entrepreneurial skills and high-growth potential small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Her goal as an academic is to share knowledge beyond academic journals.
Nthabeleng says; “While our gender parity ratio in South Africa is better than most African countries, women still find themselves with mismatched funding and development opportunities. The criteria of many funding and development opportunities does not often align to where in their life cycle women-owned SMEs find themselves. …
“Women remain financially vulnerable due to the patriarchal setup of our society. For example, a woman seeking financial support from a formal institution requires permission from her spouse if she is married in community of property. …
“Entrepreneurship in many spaces is still not seen as a viable career path, but an option to pursue when people cannot find employment in the ‘formal economy’.”
