Absa invites women and youth business owners to level up their skills at the SME Funding Readiness Webinar Series

September 1, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content

As part of an active commitment to support women entrepreneurs, Absa in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management, is launching a capacity-building training programme specifically designed to help level the playing field for women in business. The training programme is designed to address the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs by leveraging the expertise and resources of all three partners. Using different learning platforms, the programme will deliver tailored training, mentorship and financial solutions to help fill in the skills gap currently faced by business owners.

Celebrating South Africa’s game-changing women entrepreneurs in growth mode and creating local impact and jobs

August 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Event Report

As part of celebrations for National Women’s Month in South Africa, Lionesses of Africa’s latest Lioness Business Agility Webinar took place on 14 August 2024, with 120 women entrepreneurs joining the event online. Once again hosted in partnership with Absa, the webinar focused on the theme of “Celebrating game-changing women entrepreneurs in South Africa who are in growth mode and creating local impact and jobs.” It’s an important topic and Lionesses of Africa believes in the need to recognize and support the work and commitment of women entrepreneurs who are building sustainable businesses that are creating much-needed jobs and driving economic growth in their communities.

Introducing the holistic Absa Women and Youth Proposition

August 4, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner

An interview with Khanya Matshikwe, Head: Proposition Enablement - SME Relationship Banking – Strategy & Customer Value Management, Absa

In this week’s edition of Lioness Weekender, we are focusing on how women entrepreneurs can get access to better financial advice and support for their businesses, to help them to grow and thrive. So to learn more, who better to speak to than Khanya Matshikwe, Head: Proposition Enablement - SME Relationship Banking – Strategy & Customer Value Management at Absa. Khanya will be a familiar face and name if you have attended one of the popular Lioness Business Agility webinars over the past year, where she provides great insight and information on what Absa is practically doing to support women-led SMEs.

Absa Bank wins Euromoney Award for Excellence as South Africa’s Best Bank for SMEs

July 20, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Award Winner

Absa Bank has been recognised by the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2024, and awarded the accolade of South Africa's Best Bank for SMEs. The Euromoney Awards are the definitive annual awards programme for the banking industry, celebrating the achievements of banks and bankers from across the globe. Over 600 banks from over 100 countries enter the Awards for Excellence every year, making it the most comprehensive awards programme in the industry.

Focus on women in manufacturing at the 2nd Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024

April 21, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Event Report

Lionesses of Africa’s latest Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024, took place on 17 April 2024, with 148 women entrepreneurs predominantly from South Africa joining the event online. Once again hosted in partnership with Absa, the webinar focused on the theme of “Women in manufacturing, creating jobs and local impact”. It’s an important topic and Lionesses of Africa believes in the need to recognise and support the work and commitment of women entrepreneurs who are building sustainable manufacturing businesses that are creating much-needed jobs and driving economic growth.

Give your business and customer experience an edge at the Absa Commercial Payments Summit in South Africa

April 14, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Event Feature

South Africa’s women entrepreneurs are encouraged to join the 2024 Absa Commercial Payments Summit on 16 April 2024 at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa, to discover top technology and leading conversations that can impact their business. Industry trends, payment innovation, and collaboration will be on full display at this inaugural, must-attend event.

New Green Business Growth the focus of the 1st Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024

February 18, 2024 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Business Agility Report

Lionesses of Africa’s new event year started with a bang as the first Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2024, took place on 14 February, with 120 women entrepreneurs predominantly from South Africa joining the event online. Once again hosted in partnership with Absa, the webinar focused on the theme of “New Year, New Green Business Growth”. It’s an important topic and Lionesses of Africa believes in the need to recognise and support the work and commitment of women entrepreneurs who are building green, sustainable businesses and driving economic growth. They are creating much-needed jobs with their businesses, whilst also creating sustainable impact too.

Creating an environment where women and youth entrepreneurs can thrive

October 28, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Ronnie Mbatsane, Managing Executive for SME Business & Sanah Gumede, Managing Executive for Strategy and Customer Value Management at Absa Relationship Banking

The past few years have been difficult ones for South Africans. We have faced the COVID pandemic, intensified load shedding, civil unrest and natural disasters to name a few. Not only have these challenges interrupted our daily lives, but the environment has changed significantly as a result with profound social and financial implications for individuals as well as businesses. According to the Africa Report, a significant portion of South Africa’s young people are now unemployed, with women making up two-thirds of the job losses during the pandemic.

Absa / Lioness Launch / Absa launches its Absa Business She Thrives proposition, designed for women in business

October 22, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Absa / Lioness Launch

As an entrepreneur, you are always in search of ways to leave your mark in an impactful way. With Business She Thrives, Absa is here to support and empower you with the tools that enable you and your business to grow. Absa has a range of holistic, well-designed banking, finance and investment solutions, offered to enable you to achieve your business goals, wealth creation, protection and preservation objectives to build your business legacy. Over and above this, you have non-financial solutions as a value-add to give you access to markets, training and networking events.

South Africa’s women and youth entrepreneurs celebrated at latest Lioness Business Agility webinar to commemorate Youth Month

June 25, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Event Report / Lioness Business Agility Series

June marks Youth Month in South Africa, and so as part of the country’s commemoration activities, Lionesses of Africa, in partnership with Absa, hosted a special edition of the Lioness Business Agility Webinars for 2023. The theme of the event focused on “Celebrating inspirational women and youth entrepreneurs,” aimed at inspiring the next generation of young women business builders who are going to play their part in driving economic growth through entrepreneurship in the country. The webinar attracted an audience of 135 women entrepreneurs keen to learn more about how to grow their businesses, fulfill their purpose through entrepreneurship, and make an impact in their sectors and communities.

Absa to extend energy grants to SMEs amid crises

April 15, 2023 Melanie Hawken

by Ronnie Mbatsane, Managing Executive, SME Business, Absa Relationship Banking

Struggling businesses will soon be able to apply for their share of the R50 million in grants to keep their businesses running. In a move aimed at supporting and growing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Absa will be providing up to R50 million in energy subsidy under its Green Asset Finance programme for qualifying SMEs.

New Year, New Growth the focus of the 1st Lioness Business Agility Webinar of 2023

February 26, 2023 Melanie Hawken

Lioness Business Agility Event Report

The first in the annual series of popular Lioness Business Agility Webinars for 2023 took place on Wednesday 15 February. Hosted in partnership once again with Absa, the theme of “New Year, New Growth” was firmly at the forefront of women entrepreneurs’ minds. With 100 attendees to kickstart the conversation, together with a speaker panel of highly experienced women entrepreneurs from the Lionesses of Africa community in South Africa, the discussion focused on how to achieve real and lasting growth this year. Specialist insights also came from Ronnie Mbatsane, managing executive, SME Business at Absa, who shared how the bank is supporting the growth of women entrepreneur-led SMEs in order to further stimulate economic growth and job creation.

Beyond computer screen engagements with the Lionesses of Africa

September 4, 2022 Melanie Hawken

by Dr Langelihle Simela, Business Development Manager, Absa

Since the onset of COVID-19, many engagements went to electronic platforms such as Zoom and MS Teams. One benefit from this experience is that we learnt that we do not have to drive, fly or Uber to each and every meeting; there are some instances where it is sufficient to engage over virtual platforms and save on travel time and costs. By the same token, the downside is that digital meetings constrain the establishment of meaningful connections. The human part of the relationship is not as easy to establish across the screen. So, following the successful Business Agility Webinars and taking advantage of the decline in COVID-19 infections and the easing of social distancing measures, Absa and the Lionesses of Africa (LoA) are moving to face-to-face engagements, where authentic professional relationships can be established. After all, Absa is a relationship-driven bank.

Relationship Bankers in Profile / Absa / Maureen Ntsane

August 26, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / Relationship Banker Profile - Maureen Ntsane

In this week’s edition of Lioness Weekender, we are publishing the fourth in a series of regular profiles featuring Absa Relationship Bankers whose role it is to support entrepreneurs. The fourth of our profiles introduces Maureen Ntsane, Regional Head: Sales & Service Enablement - Central Region.

Relationship Bankers in Profile / Absa / Nadia Valli

August 21, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / Relationship Banker Profile - Nadia Valli

In this week’s edition of Lioness Weekender, we are publishing the third in a series of regular profiles featuring Absa Relationship Bankers whose role it is to support entrepreneurs. The third of our profiles introduces Nadia Valli, Area Coverage Manager managing Commercial Relationship Executives, Private Banking and Small to Medium Enterprises.

Relationship Bankers in Profile / Absa / Jolene Grobler

August 14, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / Relationship Banker Profile - Jolene Grobler

In this week’s edition of Lioness Weekender, we are publishing the second in a series of regular profiles featuring Absa Relationship Bankers whose role it is to support entrepreneurs. The second of our profiles introduces Jolene Grobler, Regional Segment Head: Gauteng and Limpopo, whose area of responsibility within Absa is Relationship Banking: Business Bank.

Relationship Bankers in Profile / Absa / Sibongile (Bongi) Macholi

August 7, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / Relationship Banker Profile - Sibongile (Bongi) Macholi

In this week’s edition of Lioness Weekender, we are publishing the first in a series of regular profiles featuring Absa Relationship Bankers whose role it is to support entrepreneurs. The first of our profiles introduces Sibongile (Bongi) Macholi, Area Coverage Manager: Relationship Banking Coverage, Somerset West: Small and Medium Enterprise, Commercial Business and Private Banking at Absa.

Navigating the world of global uncertainty

July 3, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa / by Janeal Haskins Head: Forex Sales and International Banking

A black swan is an unpredictable event that is beyond what is normally expected of a situation and has potentially severe consequences. Black swan events are characterized by their extreme rarity, severe impact and the widespread insistence that they were obvious in hindsight. The term was popularized by the book, The Black Swan, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

Greater focus required in the manufacturing sector

June 12, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa

As the fourth largest contributor to gross domestic product, manufacturing is a key sector to the country’s recovery plan and achieving our future growth by creating jobs and lessening the country’s reliance on imported products.

Absa is proud to be the Platinum Sponsor of the Manufacturing Indaba, which will take place on 21 and 22 June 2022 at the Sandton Convention Centre.

Funeral business fleet: To own or to lease?

May 22, 2022 Melanie Hawken

Impact Partner Content / Absa

A funeral director’s fleet is one of the drawcards that serves as a key marketing tool. The fast-paced trend-driven industry competes on the wheels that a funeral home owns. An ongoing debate lurks for the funeral director as to which ownership structure best serves their needs – to own or to lease.

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