10,000 business women across Africa to convene for ABSA's annual conference

Up to 10,000 women entrepreneurs  from across Africa are set to convene in Nairobi for the 2024 Absa InspireMe Conference from June 18 to 19.  

The 10,000 women entrepreneurs will deliberate on business and leadership to strengthen women-led SMEs.

The 2024 Absa InspireMe Conference comes in partnership with the International Trade Centre (ITC) SheTrades Kenya Hub. 

The conference was launched in 2021 as an initiative under Absa Bank’s women in business proposition. 

The conference is organized annually to facilitate market linkages, business-to-business networking, and business mentorship for women entrepreneurs.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Empowering Your Story for Growth.”

Absa Bank Business Banking Director Elizabeth Wasunna said the mission of the conference is " to create a platform that brings together prominent African women in business and entrepreneurs to share ideas and empower one another." 

Wasunna said the conference will also allow the businesswomen to discuss emerging trends and skills necessary to transform their institutions and propel them to various levels of growth.

The banking director noted that on the sidelines of the knowledge-sharing and inspirational sessions from global and local business titans, there will also be an exhibition of products and services and industry-specific trade visits. 

Wasunna said the businesswomen will also get a chance to connect with buyers from the United Kingdom. 

" We will also have a delegation from the United Kingdom in a bid to connect our women entrepreneurs to UK buyers to build new business linkages and expand economic opportunities for women-led businesses from across the continent,” Wasunna said. 

This year’s conference brings together women entrepreneurs from Absa participating countries, which include Kenya, Ghana, Zambia, Mauritius and Uganda, as well as participating countries under SheTrades Hubs in Africa, that is, Mauritius, Rwanda, South Africa, Ghana, Gambia and Nigeria. 

International Trade Centre SheTrades Hub Regional Coordinator for East and South Phyllis Mwangi noted that the African market represents a Sh1.4 billion market opportunity for Kenyan SMEs to conduct business with the African Continent. 

"This conference will bring 11 UK buyers and 20 large corporations from the SheTrades Hubs countries to explore new opportunities with the women entrepreneurs at the conference,” Mwangi said. 

The conference will welcome a prestigious line-up of successful entrepreneurs, government representatives, regulators, Absa senior executives and managing directors from Kenya, Ghana, Zambia and other key stakeholders, including Kenya Association of Manufacturers.

Notable personalities participating in the conference include the Investment, Trade, and Industry CS Rebecca Miano and the President’s Advisor on Women Rights Harriette Chiggai. 

Other official partners for the conference include Finance in Motion and Africa Guarantee Fund and APA Insurance.

Over the last three years, the conference has united over 8,000 women across Africa, offering them the chance to learn from mission-driven women business leaders in Ghana, Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya.