Lioness Data / Research Report

The first South African Women Entrepreneurs Job Creators Survey report was released on 6 June, providing key insights into the pivotal role women entrepreneurs play as job creators. Top line findings from the report indicate a deep commitment to job creation among South Africa’s women entrepreneurs, with 90% reporting that job creation was an important consideration in starting their business. In addition, despite all the challenges and setbacks of the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the survey reveals ‘green shoots’ of optimism in terms of future job creation. The majority of respondents anticipate that their businesses will recover from the impact of COVID-19 within two years; they anticipate growth in revenues, and are either actively recruiting new staff now or planning for new, near-term hires. The survey was undertaken by Lionesses of Africa, a network of over 1.3 million women entrepreneurs across the African continent, in partnership with New York University, and in collaboration with Absa.