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Herald Reporter

The Concord Young Women in Business Global ICT’s programme of training young women in ICT skills has attracted international attention following the invitation of the initiative’s founder to South Africa for a business presentation.

Concord Young Women in Business Global ICT president Ms Apphia Nyasha Musavengana is currently in South Africa at the invitation of the country’s Deputy President, Honourable Paul Mashatile, to a National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) Investment Roundtable that will be held on Thursday.

The roundtable will run under the theme: ‘Unlocking Investments in Human Capital for an Inclusive Economy’.

Ms Musavengana will present on the topic of – The Role of Intergenerational Co-Leadership.

She will also have a meeting with the Deputy President to discuss how the ICT training programme can also be implemented in South Africa.

The Concord Young Women in Business Global ICT’s programme is aimed at empowering young women with skills on how they can utilise information communication technology (ICT) to enhance their businesses.

The first phase of the programme saw 10 000 young women from all over Zimbabwe graduating in Bulawayo at an event that was presided over by President Mnangagwa. The second phase, which is currently underway, will have over 20 000 young women graduating next month.

In an interview with the Herald, Ms Musavengana said that it was a great honour, not only for her organisation but for the women of Zimbabwe, to be invited to the business investment programme.

“It is a huge honour not only for our organisation but for all women of Zimbabwe that we have been invited by the Vice President of South Africa Honourable Dr Paul Mashatile to the roundtable in business investment programme that is being organized by the deputy chairperson of NYDA Madam Karabo Mohale.

“We are also going to have a private meeting where we are going to discuss the programmes that we have been doing here in Zimbabwe, the national ICT programme we did, phase one and now we are on phase two and we are finishing training on our last province,” she said.

Ms Musavengana revealed that the private meeting will focus on how women from the two countries can collaborate in terms of business ideas and opportunities as well as sharing ideas on technology.

“We are going to have a discussion on how this programme can benefit the women of South Africa and also around the globe and how women that have participated in this programme (in Zimbabwe) can partner with the women in South Africa,” she said.

She went on to say that the topic she is going to present at the roundtable will not be difficult for her, despite her being the youngest speaker.

“I have been given a topic to present on Intergenerational co-leadership on driving the African Union developmental agenda for sustainable growth, this is a challenging topic but I am honoured and glad that our President Dr Mnangagwa has been moving this under his leadership, so it is one of the topics that is going to be very easy for me.

“His support for the ICT programme and women empowerment shows his full support to have youth in decision-making positions, to have women participate in the economic development of this country, so this is a great opportunity and we are looking forward to this meeting, partnerships and great things that are coming,” she said.