King Sabata Dalindyebo Municipality Empowers Rural Women in Business

• Women’s Month Capacity Building Event: The King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality hosted a session at the Xesibe Traditional Council to empower women in business as part of Women’s Month celebrations.
• Theme and Objectives of the Program: The program, themed ‘Rural and peri-urban Women Leading Local Economies,’ aimed to provide women with knowledge and resources to develop successful, sustainable businesses in rural and peri-urban communities.
• Participating Departments and Agencies: The event involved eight key sector departments and agencies, including DEDEAT, COGTA, DRDAR, ECDC, ECRDA, O.R. Tambo District Municipality, ECPTA, and SEDA, to support women entrepreneurs.
• Activities and Skills Developed: Participants engaged in workshops and interactive sessions that covered entrepreneurship, funding access, business management, and opportunities in agriculture, tourism, and small enterprise development.

As part of Women’s Month celebrations, the King Sabata Dalindyebo Local Municipality hosted a Capacity Building Session for women in business at the Xesibe Traditional Council, Upper Ngqwarha in Ward 29.

The programme, themed “Rural and peri-urban Women Leading Local Economies,” aimed to equip women with knowledge and resources to build successful and sustainable businesses in rural and peri-urban communities.

The initiative brought together eight key sector departments and agencies: Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism (DEDEAT), Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Department of Rural Development and Agrarian Reform (DRDAR), Eastern Cape Development Corporation (ECDC), Eastern Cape Rural Development Agency (ECRDA), O.R. Tambo District Municipality, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency (ECPTA), Small Enterprise Development Agency (SEDA).

Through workshops and interactive sessions, participants gained insights into entrepreneurship, access to funding, business management skills, and opportunities within agriculture, tourism, and small enterprise development.

The municipality emphasized that supporting women in rural and peri-urban areas is critical for building stronger local economies and reducing barriers that limit their participation.