A passion for teaching women to be own bosses
Shared information and tips key to drive
A desire to see young women being financially independent drove Melba Nkosi to establish her own non-profit organisation, called Boss Women Empowerment (BWE) in 2015.
Nkosi, 24, was born in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga, and is currently studying towards a wealth management certificate at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
The BWE initiative, based in Sandton, helps females gain financial knowledge by encouraging them to be their own bosses. Nkosi said helping young women to start their own businesses will help them achieve financial and overall independence.
“It started two years ago when I contacted all ambitious women in my phone book to see how we could [gain synergy from our collective] experiences and interests, as well as leverage off each others’ connections to achieve success,” Nkosi told Sowetan about how her initiative started.
“The project kicked off [brilliantly], but the follow-up was poor but [it] got revived again with limited facilities by hosting sessions educating women about the financial industry and business opportunities.”
Nkosi is currently a business development manager for an investment firm in Sandton.
Since 2015, Nkosi has helped seven females start and operate their businesses with tips and practical information about how to structure their businesses and assisting them with their online queries.
She also helped to share information on how to access funding as well as how to register your own business.
Her other services include workshops on personal financial management skills and indicating business opportunities that are available through their BWE network.
She said her passion for business began when she worked at Old Mutual and gained more knowledge about being a business developer.
Personally, she said she had learnt to be her own boss from her grandfather, who she says has always motivated her to be the best.
She said her services are offered through social media platforms such as Facebook.