Salesforce announces big job creation plan in South Africa

The awards are hosted by the Innovator Trust – a small-business training incubation facilitator established in 2014, whose mission it is to support and nurture the development of sustainable information and communications technology SMMEs in South Africa.

Now in its sixth year, the auspicious Wit Appreciation Experience was initially conceptualised primarily to recognise female beneficiaries from the enterprise development, supplier development and young entrepreneurs programmes facilitated by the Innovator Trust.

Since its inception, the Innovator Trust has successfully incubated more than 190 Black-owned ICT small businesses, some of which have been able to grow from the startup phase to medium and large-scale enterprises.

For the last two years, the Wit event was virtual and offered a captivating line-up of keynote addresses and panel discussions featuring renowned women in leadership such as minister of small business development Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams; former public protector of South Africa, professor Thuli Madonsela; chancellor of the Nelson Mandela Bay University, Ms Geraldine Fraser-Moleketi, and Vodacom chief officer and Executive director for external Affairs, Takalani Netshitenzhe.

This year’s experience will be hosted as a one-day hybrid event to include those unable to attend in person. Leading women of industry, innovators, government, academia, media, and small business owners are expected to attend the event in recognition of the female beneficiaries being awarded.

“Wit 2022 presents a call to action for women to #PowerUp in support of one another and unite as a collective toward creating the opportunities for economic growth that exist within the realm of tech entrepreneurship, despite the dire economic and social climate of the country,” commented Tashline Jooste, CEO of the Innovator Trust.

In addition to a spectacular awards ceremony, the programme promises an impressive lineup of guest speakers and panel discussions engaging on topics such as women and sustainability, African entrepreneurship and the effects of the energy crises in the SMME sector, challenging the current status quo on the state of women in technology and entrepreneurship.

Complimentary virtual registrations to Wit 2022 are now open until 16 November 2022.