By Celestine Okorie, Correspondent South Africa
The US Embassy in South Africa and the Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) are once again partnering to implement the 2021 Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) South Africa programme.
Currently in its third year, another 125 participants will be selected nationwide for the 2021 cohort. This brings total participation in the programme to 300 young South African female entrepreneurs, who have received training and mentorship in what has become a highly competitive entrepreneurship program.
The Academy for Women Entrepreneurs is an initiative of the US State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) as part of the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative which aims to empower 50 million women worldwide by 2025 to fulfill their economic potential, with the goal of creating conditions for increased stability, security, and prosperity for all. Currently implemented in more than 50 countries, AWE supports the growth of women entrepreneurs by equipping them with the practical skills, resources, mentorship, and networks needed to create sustainable businesses and enterprises. AWE is centered around DreamBuilder, an online training platform for women’s entrepreneurship developed by the Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management in partnership with the global copper mining company Freeport-McMoRan.
Minister Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy, Frank Whitaker, notes “We firmly believe that women entrepreneurs are key to our shared prosperity, both now and in the future. Women who take action to affect positive change can and must play a role in leading the way to a more sustainable and economically inclusive future.”
AWIEF Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Irene Ochem said “The AWE South Africa programme has been a huge success, empowering young women not only with requisite knowledge and skills they need to own and manage successful businesses of their own, but also personal development and growth. Last year in 2020, we implemented AWE during what I would describe as an unprecedented crisis and challenging time of our existence as human beings, at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic. We saw many inspiring young women move from just having a business idea to owning and operating a business of their own, overcoming all challenges.”
AWE 2021 will take place as a virtual programme from August to December, with participants selected and grouped according to five South African cities: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria. South African women entrepreneurs are invited to apply until July 11, 2021.
Call for applications
Applications are invited from motivated and self-driven female entrepreneurs for the AWE programme. Application is of no cost to the applicant at any stage. Selected candidates will receive no-cost entry to the programe which includes:
- Enrolment in the DreamBuilder platform and expert facilitated virtual business management training and mentorship sessions
- Networking and peer learning opportunities with like-minded entrepreneurs
- A collaboratively developed and refined draft of your business plan
- A DreamBuilder certificate after completing the program
- Membership to the AWIEF Community
- Free attendance to the AWIEF 2021 Virtual Conference, December 2 and 3, 2021
Participants who graduate from the programme gain automatic membership to the US government-funded Exchange Alumni network which provides access to a robust network of support, including follow-on business opportunities, potential seed funding, and a vast network of like-minded and highly regarded entrepreneurs across the country.
Eligibility criteria
- Women between 21 and 35 years of age and fluent in English
- Resident in one of the five AWE South Africa cities: Bloemfontein, Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, and Pretoria
- Must either have a feasible business idea or have been in business for no more than 2 years
- Not in full-time employment (please note this excludes self-employment)
- Ability to participate in weekly group sessions and must be able to commit 5+ hours weekly to accomplish designated tasks
- Computer literacy and access to a computer
To submit your application for the AWE South Africa 2021 programme, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/3xCwJ2GAWESouthAfrica2021
MEDIA
Playcasino Releases Reveal-All Guide On South African Lottery
By Celestine Okorie, Correspondent South Africa
www.Playcasino.co.za has been a long-standing and valuable resource for South African online casino enthusiasts. This online casino ranking and review website is hailed for its unbiased, objective and detailed reviews of leading online gambling portals for South African players.
The platform has now expanded to also shed light on South African lotteries. This news is music to the ears of online lottery players looking for dependable knowledge repositories.
Their most recent publication titled “The Ultimate Guide to South African Lotteries” has quickly become the holy grail in terms of South African online lottery how-to‘s.
According to Playcasino’s spokesperson Kelvin Jones, this all-encompassing guide is not only detailed, but gives players practical and actionable information about playing various South Africa lottery games.
In classic www.Playcasino.co.za style, the guide is well researched and composed based on firsthand experiences of seasoned online gambling pundits.
A Google search for information on South African lottery games leads players down the path to a cesspool of hastily written, for-the-sake-of-it reviews. www.Playcasino.co.za‘s holistic, South African specific lottery article is a guiding light in these otherwise murky waters.
The Ultimate Guide to South African Lotteries is especially effective in cutting through the clutter and getting straight to the heart of the most pressing questions that players of lotteries usually have.
This includes a participant’s real chances of winning the South African lottery, how the national lottery actually works, and the mathematical odds of winning. The guide also highlights how each lottery game is played and features such as quick pick vs. manual play.
Playcasino’s spokesperson Kelvin Jones says, “The guide has a short video, dummy proof explanations and lots of juicy information on how to easily enhance your odds, possible winning strategies and the process to follow if you win a lottery prize.
It leaves no stone unturned, and makes for easy reading by following a logical flow of questions from a participant’s perspective. Anyone who wishes to play the lottery will find this guide most insightful.
Most importantly the guide details precisely how international players can participate in the South African National Lottery”.
Having answered the hardest hitting questions with laser-like precision, the guide’s latter sections deal with lesser-known aspects of the South African lottery.
It addresses various facets such as – the nuances between state v. national lotteries, the history of the lottery in South Africa, and the potential effects of winning the lottery. One of the important aspects the guide addresses is why lottery winners should resist the urge to take a lump sum payment.
Playcasino’s spokesperson points out that there is plenty of other information worth reading. From how profits are split to what happens to unclaimed lotto winnings, the guide covers all. You’ll even find some quirky facts about the lottery to impress your friends with.
