Indalo Inclusive South Africa, in collaboration with The Innovation Hub-Climate Innovation Center South Africa, Gender CC Southern Africa, and with the financial support of the Government of Flanders, organizes the Climate Change Awards Program for South African Women Entrepreneurs (SiAWECCA). Following the successful launch and implementation of the first cohort in 2021, the call to host the second cohort of the awards program was launched in March 2022 at the Indalo Inclusive SA annual symposium.
Indalo Inclusive is a non-profit company that promotes and supports eco-inclusive entrepreneurship and the promotion of responsible business practices. Entrepreneurship and the environment come together in everything they do; each aspect is as important as the other.
The awards program highlights innovative climate-smart women-owned businesses in South Africa. It credits them as central contributors and change makers in the country’s green recovery and adaptation to the effects of climate change. The aim of the awards is to promote an entrepreneurial mindset that promotes a climate resilient and green economic transition in South Africa while supporting gender equality.
SiAWECCA’s second cohort supports seven women entrepreneurs, each of whom will receive a six-month business development support package that includes online and contact workshops, one-on-one business development mentoring and an R85,000 grant.
The SiAWECCA Awards are given to women-led, locally-oriented, climate-resilient businesses that have the potential to replicate, scale up, and bring climate-smart solutions into communities while improving their livelihoods.
The following pioneering women-led businesses have been selected as SiAWECCA Program participants:
- GUGU Clean Tech, a clean energy and sustainable agriculture company based in Amazimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, founded by Zinhle Ngidi. The company specializes in the production of biodiesel using Solaris plants. IGUGU partners with farmers in rural KZN communities to grow specialized hybrid crops, for virgin vegetable oil, raw material and high-value presscake for livestock protein feed. This partnership provides an opportunity for local farmers (particularly women) to receive training on climate-smart best practices in growing Solaris, and in turn, IGUGU becomes a sustainable marketplace, buying their crop, which feeds their biodiesel refining process.
- The Green Aqua and Agricultural Cooperative, an eco-inclusive initiative based in Bethal, Mpumalanga, was founded by Joana Ngele. Aqua Green raises, grades and rears catfish for six months, when they reach market size. At harvest time, they select the breeding stock and transfer the fish to the holding unit at the hatchery for breeding. The harvested broth is packaged in 1 kg bags and is sold uneviscerated, fresh or frozen. The company also organically frames the fresh produce, and waste from the fish is used as fertilizer for crops. Aqua Green uses modern systems (Aquaculture Production Systems) that conserve water through water recirculation and internal climate control systems, resulting in fish free from any chemical contamination. It lowers production costs, which then leads to affordability for consumers and underserved communities. Aqua Green’s organic fertilizer, produced in-house from fish waste, is currently being tested by the Department of Agriculture.
- PWK Waste Management is a waste management company based in Thohoyandou, Limpopo, founded by Susan Kone. The company is a waste collection and buy-back center that focuses on reducing waste going to landfills, while reducing greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. In addition, the company identifies women in Vhembe districts and empowers them with the knowledge of recycling and waste collection. PWK Waste has also partnered with Dziphathutshedzo Green Surfacing to manufacture paving bricks, using used plastic oil cans; the process does not require water.
- Sibocali Foods is an agricultural processing company based in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal, founded by Sibongile Mtsabe. The company currently produces crispy cocoyam and sweet potato chips, gluten-free flour, and indigenous fermented instant porridge. Mtsabe works with local farmers who have indigenous knowledge about growing these roots. The company provides seeds to farmers and buys the fresh produce to make various products. They are currently distributing to six snack shops, one health store and eight mini shops, and an online platform is being prepared. They currently work with seven farmers and plan to add 12 more as they resume planting. In addition, the company helps reduce poverty in local communities and educates families on the importance of growing their own crops. His short-term plans include opening a processing plant at his current site and replicating the model to other communities in the long term.
- BeeAfrican is a social enterprise specializing in beekeeping, based in Mamogaleskraal, North West, and founded by Memme (Mems) Ramaila. The company offers women and youth from marginalized communities the opportunity to earn a sustainable income through honey production. They add honey and facilitate market links. The company focuses on establishing beekeeping businesses, closing the biodiversity knowledge gap at the grassroots level, and transforming beekeeping sectors through manufacturing and localization. BeeAfrican manufactures beehives to supply communities and sells them to other companies. The beehive manufacturing process recycles wood pellets that would otherwise end up in landfills. The company developed a honey-based immune booster under the guidance of a renowned Zambian naturopath, who shared the formulation with them. This product launched in August 2020 and increased sales as honey, ginger and garlic became common household purchases at the height of Covid-19.
- Vatsakeme Multipurpose Cooperative Ltd is a women-run business that focuses on organic farming and collecting biomass waste, such as cow dung and food waste, into biogas as a valuable source of energy. The cooperative is based in Mopani, Limpopo and was founded by Netion Rikhotso. With this technology, Vhatsakeme produces green energy as an alternative to electricity, which is used on her farm. Vhatsakeme provides training on biogas manufacturing to community members, especially farmers and businesses in Limpopo.
- AVYSTOS Trading Projects is a women-led e-waste management company based in Tembisa, Gauteng, which was founded by Molatelo Lebogang Mosehla. The company provides e-waste collection, recycling, and disposal services, thereby raising awareness among communities about recycling electronic devices. AVYSTOS offers its service through an easy-to-use booking platform, with a response time of only 24 hours. The company uses a shredding machine to dismantle e-waste in a controlled and safe way that does not create health risks.
About Indalo Inclusive South Africa NPC
Indalo Inclusive South Africa is a not-for-profit company established with a mandate to support and promote social, green, inclusive and responsible entrepreneurship in South Africa. Indalo’s main services are the development of business skills and the facilitation of dialogue processes. As part of business capacity building, Indalo educates and trains entrepreneurs, established companies, organizations and business advisors to profitably integrate green and social dimensions into their business operations.
In its four years of formal constitution, Indalo has a portfolio of projects that have the financial support of various entities, including the Government of Flanders, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Program Development Organization (UNDP), the European Union (EU), Old Mutual Foundation, Nedbank, British High Commission and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
In addition, Indalo has contractual agreements with entities such as SANParks, with a focus on the implementation of projects, aimed, among others, at supporting land claiming communities that live adjacent to protected and wildlife areas such as the Kruger National Park (KNP ) through dialogue and structured business support. , as well as identify and support entrepreneurs in the eco and inclusive sectors.
Indalo is also home to several global green and climate-smart entrepreneurship programs, such as Climate Launchpad, the International Labor Organization’s Sustaining Competitive and Responsible Enterprises (SCORE) program, which focuses on improving productivity and working conditions in small and medium enterprises, and SEED South Africa. (inaugural hosts between 2017 and March 2021).
Indalo is proud to be the implementer of choice for Harvesting the Potential of Entrepreneurship for a Climate-Smart Green and Inclusive Economy in South Africa (ECSIGE). This is a three-year project, funded by the Government of Flanders, with the aim of ensuring that climate resilience in rural communities in South Africa is sustainably improved through an approach of strengthening climate-smart, innovative and economically-smart businesses. solutions that create solutions to climate change. adaptation available. The ECSIGE Project is implemented in partnership with the Climate Innovation Center of South Africa (CIC-SA).
The “Indalopreneur South African Green and Inclusive Enterprise Support and Awards Program” (SiAGIA) is a 3-year program funded by Nedbank and aims to support innovative business solutions to contribute to the evidence base for climate change that generates a society climate resilient and inclusive green economy, addressing the country’s triple challenge of poverty, unemployment and inequality.
The Indalopreneur – South Africa Green and Inclusive Business Awards and Support Program addresses social ills through an innovative and holistic approach through systematic and ongoing capacity building, organizational resilience and the potential for sustainable impact of green businesses and inclusive, while promoting the relevance of climate change and business solutions.
Strategic and direct support for green and inclusive companies within the water, energy, agriculture and waste sectors will be provided through the Innovation Test (Indalovator), the Growth Phase (Indalogrow) and the Accelerator (Indaloaccel). ), based on tried and tested models adapted from Indalo. . Additionally, the program focuses on strengthening the ecosystem of green companies through prototyping, test and exhibition, financing and support instruments.
For more information, visit: www.Indaloinclusive.org.za
