Maihapa Ndjavera
WINDHOEK – The 20th Northern Economist Businesswomen Conference was launched last week Thursday in Windhoek by Sara Elago, Patron and Namibian Businesswoman of the Year 1999. The conference, being organised in association with the Economist Businesswomen Club, will be held in Ongwediva on August 8, 2019.
Exposing women in the north to this accumulated pool of skills is the driving force behind the conference Sara Elago. She initiated the Northern Economist Businesswomen Conference as her project for Businesswomen of the Year 1999 and is organized by the Namibia Economist. The Economist Businesswomen Club has more than 120 enlisted members.
With the theme “Creating Businesses Impacting Society and Leading with Purposes”, the conference aim for this year is to create an opportunity for women to share their expertise and skills, make new contacts, support one another and to create worthwhile business relationships whereby they can be held accountable for their regions. Desere Lundon-Muller, Chairperson of the Economist Businesswomen Projects at the event noted that in depth presentations and workshops cover topics vital to businesswomen in today’s marketplace. The conference is tailored to all women who want to increase their professionalism, job satisfaction, add value to their organisations and to encourage entrepreneurs.
Muller went further on thanking their main sponsors which is Telecom and Standard Bank of Namibia for their profound commitment towards the development of women in Namibia. Winner of best business idea competition will walk away with N$5000 from Standard Bank of Namibia and Telecom laptop with many more and NBII business plan. All excess funds generated by the conference, go towards the Economist Businesswomen Bursary Fund, which is available to finance female students in business related fields at an institution in Namibia.
Nomvula Kondombolo-Kambinda, Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations at Telecom Namibia said “The Namibian Businesswomen Conference is a great platform for knowledge sharing and entrepreneurial growth, and Telecom Namibia is proud to be a sponsor contributing the required funds to ensure the event is hosted. Telecom Namibia contributed N$276,713.00 towards the overall activities of the Namibia Businesswomen Project for the year. This sponsorship does not only ensure that the various events under the Businesswomen Project are hosted successfully but it has long-term positive impact on the participants.”
Isack Hamata, public relations and communication manager at Standard Bank of Namibia presented the donation at the event of N$100000 which is an increase from N$85000 of last year.
“Although only about 120 businesswomen will attend the Economist Businesswomen Conference, we hope that the experience gained and networks created will benefit more Namibian women. That can happen if each of the 120nparticipants can take their wings at least one or two emerging or young business women to mentor over a period of time. In that way the pool of businesswomen can grow and we have full confidence that if that happens, dividends will show in the form of our country’s economic growth” noted Hamata.