South Africa: Businesswomen should keep striving

Johannesburg, 9 October: As part of the GL News Service Women in Business series, GL’s host Amanobea Boteng interviews two charted accountants and founding members of Leruo Corporate Consulting- Tinyiko Mhlari and Phutanang Segoati. They discuss what led them to follow accounting careers, share some of the challenges they have faced within this male dominated sphere, and give advice to other women out there, who are striving to become successful accountants and business women.

As a driver of the SADC Gender and Development Protocol, Gender Links along with the SADC Gender Protocol Alliance, aims at encouraging gender equality in all private and public sectors, to ensure 50% women voices in decision-making positions by 2015.

According to the 2014 SADC Gender Protocol Barometer, The proportion of women in economic decision-making has risen by eight percentage points from 18% in 2009 to 26% in 2014, but remained static at 26% over the last year. This is far below the 50% target.

In South Africa, after 20 years of democracy, women account for only 3.6% of CEO positions, 5.5% chairperson positions; 17.1% of directors in the private sector are women and 28% of managers. It is worrying that 21% of companies in South Africa have no women in senior management.

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This vodcast is part of the Gender Links News Service Women in Business series, offering fresh views on everyday news.