Huawei South Africa is inviting women entrepreneurs to participate in its newly-launched digital skills training programme, Women4Tech.
The initiative comes as SA marks Women’s Month, which is commemorated annually during the month of August.
According to Huawei, Women4Tech is a free online course that is open to “savvy, tech-forward women entrepreneurs”, with the aim to advance their skills and help them use new technologies to grow, improve and digitise their businesses.
The digital skills training comprises three courses in the form of cloud computing, digital marketing and mobile app development, which is an introductory course to creating and using mobile apps to boost business.
“This Women’s Month, we are proud to launch this unique campaign, to make women fundamentally more competitive in the digital economy,” says Vanashree Govender, media and communications manager at Huawei South Africa.
“Women entrepreneurs and women-owned micro-businesses traditionally play a critical role in South African society and by extension the economy. Our Women4Tech programme is designed to support these businesses through ICT knowledge-sharing, facilitating digital transformation and business growth.”
In a statement, Huawei highlights that participants in the training programme will each receive a free six-month Huawei cloud subscription.
While cloud is where the world is moving to, the costs of adoption and capability can be prohibitive for micro-enterprises, notes the company.
“We have solutions like leveraging cloud in a pay-as-you-go use model that can help micro-enterprises access services like online accounting systems, targeted social media marketing and even compliance with regulations like the Protection of Personal Information Act. These solutions are ideal for micro-enterprises to use tech to take their businesses to the next level,” says Stone He, president of Huawei Cloud Southern Africa.
Huawei indicates the digital marketing course will be delivered by entrepreneur, investor and author Musa Kalenga, who says: “Over the last decade, consumers have evolved in their need for information and the way they consume it. Technology has evolved to such an extent that the consumer context is now digital.
“The importance of digital marketing is that you can easily track and monitor how you reach, engage and convert consumers through strategic, integrated communication.”
Huawei highlights that the training is open to all women entrepreneurs, who will be selected based on several factors, including their readiness to adopt new technologies into their business.
The introduction to cloud computing course will take place from 16 to 18 August, from 10am to noon.
It will be followed by the digital marketing course on 24 August, from 9am to 3pm. The course on the introduction to mobile app development and networking will take place on 25 August, from 10am to 2pm.
Women entrepreneurs interested in applying must fill in the short application form available here, and if selected to join the programme, they will be contacted.