Women entrepreneurs who exhibited at the inaugural EmpowerHer Market Trade Fair in Durban say the initiative delivered far more than visibility, turning a single day of trading into real sales, new customers and lasting business connections.
The trade fair was launched at the Olive Convention Centre in Durban on 1 August, opening South Africa’s 2026 Women’s Month programme on a decidedly practical note. Spearheaded by the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities in partnership with Absa, it was officially opened by the Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga.
From Showcasing to Selling
This year’s Women’s Month is observed under the theme Empowered Women Empower the Nation, with a sharp focus on strengthening women’s participation in the economy. Chikunga told delegates that the fair was designed to bridge the gap between women entrepreneurs and viable markets by connecting women-owned businesses directly with buyers, investors, government departments, corporates, financial institutions and enterprise development partners.
“We aim to move beyond showcasing products towards actual commercial transactions, investment, procurement opportunities, business partnerships and long-term market linkages. This trade fair is not merely an exhibition – it is an economic empowerment and market access intervention,” the Minister said.
Beyond the exhibition stands, entrepreneurs took part in business pitch sessions, procurement engagements, finance and development finance discussions, and business support clinics designed to help them grow their enterprises.
“We Made Serious Sales Today”
Among the exhibitors was Gogo Nomangungu, founder of Sangoma Diaries, whose stand the Minister visited during her walkabout. Nomangungu said the fair exceeded her expectations, generating strong sales of her complementary herbal medicines and organic skincare products.
“By opening this women’s trade fair, we made serious sales today. Our businesses are growing because customers are buying directly from us. I’m very grateful to the Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities for creating this opportunity,” she said.
She also welcomed the platform’s celebration of indigenous knowledge systems and locally manufactured products, saying initiatives that connect entrepreneurs directly with consumers can play a significant role in helping small businesses flourish.
A Women’s Month With Momentum
The fair forms part of government’s broader drive to expand market access, business partnerships and investment opportunities for women-owned enterprises – tackling well-documented barriers such as limited access to markets, procurement, finance, technology and supply chains.
The timing carries deep meaning. South Africa commemorates Women’s Month every August in honour of the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, and National Women’s Day is observed each year on 9 August. Seventy years on, initiatives like EmpowerHer are turning that legacy of courage into economic opportunity – one sale, one partnership and one thriving woman-owned business at a time.
Details of the trade fair were reported by SAnews.
Photo: commons.wikimedia.org
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