KZN Premier Ntuli supports women owned businesses

The KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli has injected R1.25 million into 25 women-owned businesses through the province’s Women Advancement Fund (WAF), marking a major push to accelerate female entrepreneurship in KwaZulu-Natal.

The handover ceremony, held at the Marine Building in Durban on Monday, forms part of a strategic partnership between the Office of the Premier and Absa Bank. The selected beneficiaries were chosen from nearly 10,000 applicants and operate across sectors including manufacturing, agriculture and services.

Ntuli described the initiative as central to the province’s economic recovery plan, saying the goal is to help women-led enterprises expand beyond survival and access national and global markets.

He also linked economic empowerment to the fight against gender-based violence, noting that financial independence plays a critical role in reducing women’s vulnerability.

The Women Advancement Fund provides targeted capital, mentorship support through its public-private partnership model, and prioritises rural inclusion, with beneficiaries drawn from areas such as Nquthu and Nkandla.

Recipient Sindisiwe Dlamini from Nquthu welcomed the support, saying the transparent selection process gave deserving entrepreneurs a fair opportunity.

The provincial government plans to expand the fund and is calling on additional private sector partners to help position KwaZulu-Natal as a hub for women-led industrial growth.