This week marks the last entries submission lap before the call by the Women in Business Association (WIBA) to all women operating businesses in Botswana to participate in this year’s Women in Business awards closes. WIBA urges all women in business to submit applications before close of business on July 15th 2016 so as to clinch the opportunity to take their businesses to the next level of success.
The awards are scheduled to glitter on August 26th 2016, where it will be disclosed to the nominees if they are the winners for each respective category of business excellence. Winners will be chosen from entries across the country and these are businesses deemed to have made significant strides in various business aspects throughout the year. The categories being competed for are Young Entrepreneur Award, Innovation Award, Male Dominated Industry Award, Female Collaboration Award, Social Entrepreneur Award and the Informal Sector Award. The overall Business Woman of the Year will walk away with P50, 000.00 cash, courtesy of Stanbic Bank, diamond jewellery sponsored by Debswana and a business training course wholly sponsored by Ba Isago University. All Category winners will each pocket P10,000.00 cash and training by Ba Isago University. The awards are supported by the Ministry of Labour & Home Affairs, through the Department of Gender Affairs and other corporate companies.
The awards were launched earlier last month, succeeding the inaugural awards ceremony held last year. The areas that were competed for in last year’s ceremony included six categories, however this year WIBA introduced a new category termed Male Dominated Industry Award which seeks to celebrate those women making a mark in areas previously dominated by male counterparts like; construction, mining, architecture, engineering.
WIBA Awards Coordinator Tshatsha Diraditsile highlights that following the much drummed up national celebrations to mark Botswana’s 50th independence this year, WIBA too has joined the bandwagon and have launched their second installment of the Women in Business excellence awards, themed “Her infinite sparkle, her success story”. “As an Association, we continue to request for assistance to ensure an even more successful and highly embraced event this year. One woman’s win, is a win for all” ÔÇô said Diraditsile. Entries close on Friday 15th July 2016. You may download the entry forms on the WIBA website, collect at the WIBA office, throughout Local Enterprise Authority offices and Gender Affairs offices outside Gaborone. WIBA’s efforts to uplift all businesses, including the informal sector ones, continue to thrive. Diraditsile emphasized that all business women’s focus should be on the business awards, as they gear themselves to partake in the national celebrations, BOT 50. The WIBA President, Ms Tumi Mbaakanyi, emphasized that “business women should strive for that infinite sparkle, whilst they carve their business success stories”
WIBA’s mandate is to unearth, nurture, develop and navigate a better business change for women entrepreneurs in Botswana. It is an organization focused on promoting the spirit of entrepreneurship amongst the womenfolk. In the first installment of the awards WIBA shone the light on Pinkie Setlalekgosi and Mitchell Gabriel of Sprint Couriers who scooped the Business Woman of the year award.
