Support for women businesses low, group laments
African online shopping platform, Shopnest Africa, has called for adequate support for women entrepreneurs in Africa to access loans and other support systems required to sustain their business and social life. This call was made at the event held to commemorate the International Women’s Day for the year 2025. Speaking at the event, Chief Executive […]
African online shopping platform, Shopnest Africa, has called for adequate support for women entrepreneurs in Africa to access loans and other support systems required to sustain their business and social life.
This call was made at the event held to commemorate the International Women’s Day for the year 2025.
Speaking at the event, Chief Executive Officer, Shopnest Africa, Taivo Saks, stated that 42.1 % of women participate more in the micro business in the informal sector ownership structure, with a 13.57% influence in the formal sector; and the low outcome from the formal sector reflects the societal and corporate limitations set against women.
Saks stated further that SMEs in Africa are described as the engine room, providing jobs and employment and contributing generously to the Gross Domestic Product of the African Economy.
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Yet, they constantly struggle under the weight of inadequate power supply, lack of capital, corruption and poor management skills that activate scaling.
He said, “African women in business deserve to experience Accelerated Action in all facets of life. There’s an urgent need to move away from creating policies to actioning policies for impact, especially in an era where AI-backed technology is improving human-technology interaction and we are excited to be a key player in the charge for women’s success in business.”
“Accelerated action will not happen by mere wish, the public and private sector must collaborate to identify the gap and fill it with solutions that are relevant and timely.”
He reiterated that though there have been a lot of efforts from the government across different levels, non-profit and private organisations, the impact has remained low and inflation across many African countries threatens to shut down the growth of already established businesses and those with plans to launch may never get to the end of the tunnel.
He said, “As we celebrate the 2025 International Women’s Day-themed: Accelerate Action, it is a call to collectively pull down the systemic barrier fashioned against women.”
He added that Shopnest Africa is open to collaborating with key industry leaders, financial institutions, NGOs and government bodies to drive systemic change and foster an ecosystem where women cannot only start businesses but sustain and expand them through technology-driven solutions.