De Beers Invests Over P100 Million to Empower Women Entrepreneurs

De Beers Invests Over P100 Million to Empower Women Entrepreneurs. De Beers Group has invested more than P100 million since 2017 to support women entrepreneurs across Botswana, Namibia, and South Africa, according to its recently released 2024 Sustainability Report in Gaborone.

The company’s efforts have benefited 3,136 women entrepreneurs through partnerships with UN Women and government stakeholders. The initiative, which began as AWOME, was rebranded in 2024 as EntreprenHER, with the aim of reaching an additional 1,500 women over the next three years.

Training programmes have been central to the investment. In 2023, 491 women received targeted training, including 71 women entering male-dominated fields such as plumbing and construction, and 69 women acquiring skills in climate-smart agriculture. Additionally, 178 women were trained in digital literacy, while 615 mentoring and coaching sessions were conducted to support business growth and sustainability.

Recognising that access to finance remains a significant barrier, De Beers launched a small grants and loans scheme in Namibia last October. The initiative seeks to provide women-led enterprises with much-needed capital to expand their operations.

The company also advanced its Trailblazer Accelerator programme, run in partnership with STEM-focused incubator WomHub. Now in its second cohort, the programme supports women running sustainability and technology-driven businesses, offering leadership coaching, pitch development, financial training, and engineering workshops to foster problem-solving and networking opportunities.

De Beers highlighted in its report that gender equity is integral to the long-term prosperity of communities. By strengthening the participation of women in entrepreneurship, the company aims to help build more inclusive and resilient economies in its host countries.