{
  "id": 1755665,
  "title": "Beyond Funding: Access gap holding back SA’s women-led businesses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/beyond-funding-access-gap-holding-back-sas-women-led-businesses",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T17:01:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SABC News",
    "slug": "sabc-news",
    "url": "https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/beyond-funding-access-gap-holding-back-sas-women-led-businesses/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Access to decision-makers and networking opportunities is a critical factor in the success of women-led businesses in South Africa, often overshadowing funding and financial resources. Despite identical business plans and growth prospects, factors such as having connections within the industry can significantly influence the outcome of securing contracts or funding. This underlying issue pervades the entrepreneurial landscape, with limited access to procurement, markets, and business development support standing alongside financial constraints as barriers to growth. Recent assessments from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor and the UNDP's regional ECoWYERT initiative underscore this reality, indicating that South Africa's entrepreneurial environment ranks poorly against global standards due to gaps in access to markets and networks. These findings suggest that government initiatives are beginning to recognize that funding is not the sole obstacle facing women-led enterprises. The consequences of neglecting to address these access gaps are significant; the World Economic Forum estimates that closing gender gaps could contribute up to $12 trillion to global GDP, while Africa's economic parity could be delayed by an additional 50 years due to insufficient market and network access. Addressing this issue requires a deliberate shift away from relying solely on conventional networks and towards creating intentional pathways for women-led businesses to connect with decision-makers and expand their reach.",
  "summary": "The WEF estimates that closing gender gaps globally could add as much as $12 trillion to global GDP.",
  "key_points": [
    "Access to decision-makers and networking crucial for women-led businesses in SA.",
    "Funding and financial resources overshadowed by industry connections.",
    "Gaps in access to markets and networks hinder entrepreneurial growth."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}