On the 13th of July 2026 the TransformHER Living Lab – through HERStory workshop convened student leaders, coordinators, academics, entrepreneurs, government representatives and industry partners from across South Africa to fortify women’s entrepreneurship through collaboration, innovation and leadership development.
The 3-day workshop that took place at the Birchwood OR Tambo Hotel from 13 to 15 July 2026 was centred around women’s lived experiences, networking, engagement, knowledge exchange, upskilling, co-creation and personal development with empowering young female entrepreneurs with skills and knowledge that will enable them to become better leaders as the overarching objective.
The workshop highlighted countless barriers faced by women in South Africa particularly in their careers and in entrepreneurship despite the implementation of gender equality laws that promote equal opportunities for all genders.
Professor Nadia Gulko, Interim Deputy Dean for Lincoln International Business School, University of Lincoln, UK, a Professor of Accounting Education and Sustainability and the UK Lead for the TransformHer programme and Professor Sanlie Middelberg, a professor at the School of Accounting Sciences and a member of the Management Cybernetics research unit at North-West University (South Africa) and SA Lead for the TransformHer programme – (Left) introduced the Living Lab –
through HER Story as a workshop that forms part of the broader SWEEP TransformHER initiative, a collective programme delivered by the British Council and USAf in partnership with the University of Lincoln, North-West University and other higher education partners to strengthen institutional collaboration between South Africa and the United Kingdom.
“In South Africa, the HER programme is about co-creating social solutions. It’s creating building skills, connecting ecosystems, and also empowering women to lead, innovate, and create impact.” – Professor Nadia Gulko (UK Lead)
In his opening and welcome address, Dr Edwell Gumbo, Director: Entrepreneurship, EDHE, Universities South Africa (Right) expressed that women continue to face barriers such as limited access to finance, limited access to networks, limited visibility and limited mentorship not because women lack talent; but because entrepreneurial ecosystems have not been designed with women in mind. He highlighted findings from the Founders Forum Group Global Venture Capital 2025 Report, the UNDP, and the Boston Consulting Group, which show that women led start-ups receive less than 1% of venture capital funding in Africa, despite their notable performance.
He further added that according to these findings female founded businesses generate twice the revenue per dollar invested and achieve higher long-term growth than male founded ventures. He emphasised that the issue is not a lack of potential but unequal access to funding, underscoring the importance of initiatives such as SWEEP and TransformHer in creating a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem for women.
“SWEEP is more than a programme, it is commitment to ensure that women students are not just participants in the economy but also take a leadership role.” He added.
The keynote address, delivered by Dr Phethiwe Matutu, CEO, Universities South Africa (USAf) – (Left) expressed the same sentiments, she underlined that gender inclusion strengthens labour markets, improves productivity and fuels economic dynamism. Quoting the World Bank study titled “Women, Business, and the Law, 2026: Benchmarking Laws for Jobs and Inclusive Growth, she further shared that a vast body of research shows that when women work, lead, and innovate, economies become more productive.
“Expanding women’s economic participation is not just a social aspiration; it is an economic imperative.” She said.
Drawing on a report by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) and also highlighting challenges faced by women entrepreneurs due to inequality, Ms Salvation Andrease, Assistant Director, University Capacity Development Directorate (UCDP), in the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) revealed that the number of unemployed young people aged 15 to 34 has increased and furthermore, of these young people, among young women; 4 in 10 are outside employment and training compared to young men.
She added that South Africa needs the collective courage to build economies and invest in women because they possess extraordinary capabilities to lead and inspire.
“We need to build a society where every woman has the opportunity not only to dream but also to achieve.” She said.
Speaking on behalf Ms. George Barrett, Country Director, The British Council South Africa and also representing the British Council South Africa, Ms Olipa Ntawanga, Project Manager at the British Council South Africa (Right) also attributed the structural barriers faced by women to uneven access to opportunities, networks, capital, markets, and resources. Similarly, she added “When young women succeed as entrepreneurs, the benefits extend far beyond the individual.
Families benefit. Communities benefit. Institutions benefit. Economies benefit.” She further shared that we need to create an equilibrium between talent, ambition, innovation and opportunities.
“SWEEP recognises that entrepreneurship is not only an economic issue. It is also a question of empowerment, inclusion, leadership, and social transformation.” She said.
Ntawanga declared that as artificial intelligence advances, machines become increasingly capable, and digital technologies continue to shape every aspect of our lives, the grandest challenge we face will not be technology itself; it will be how we respond to it.
“The future will favour those who can pair innovation with compassion, technology with purpose, knowledge with wisdom, and technical expertise with humanity.” She added.
She further articulated that although much attention is given to artificial intelligence and automation, research continues to show that the most valuable skills are those that are uniquely human and cited creativity, critical thinking, effective communication, ethical leadership, collaboration, resilience, life-long learning, the ability to work across different cultures and disciplines, and the vision to identify opportunities where others see challenges.
In conclusion Ms. Ntawanga asserted that these are not only the qualities that make people employable but they are also the foundations of successful entrepreneurship and also noted these as the very capabilities that programmes such as SWEEP aim to develop as the SWEEP TransformHER Living Lab workshop is about empowering young women to take ownership of their futures, equipping them to influence markets, strengthen communities, and shape institutions rather than simply responding to change in addition to building both confidence and capability, enabling young women to become leaders and changemakers in an increasingly dynamic world.