Young Women Economic Empowerment Project gives young women in Eswatini the tools to run successful businesses

Phumelele Manana, a 28-year-old entrepreneur from Mweni in Eswatini’s Mbheka area in the Manzini Region, formalised her family business in 2022 with the help of the Young Women Empowerment Project. Phumelele inherited the family piggery business from her father, who she also credits for her business acumen. After inviting her to work in the business with him for several years, her father fully handed over the business to her in 2022. Phumelele is now the sole owner of the business that raises and sells pigs.

She joined the UNAIDS-supported Young Women Economic Empowerment Project in 2022 to upskill herself to take the business to the next level. At the time she, her two children, and the rest of her immediate family depended on the income her father generated from the business as her livelihood. Although this sustained the business, which only had access to their local community as it is market, it was not thriving. Other challenges also added to the shortage of operational funds.  Phumelele recalls how they would take all the money from the business to provide for the family’s needs without investing any of it back into the business. As a result, the business would be short of money to buy more stock and feed, and its growth stunted.

When Phumelele heard about the Young Women Economic Empowerment project in her village she immediately applied to participate. She enrolled in the 5-day Entrepreneurship and Business management course, which made her eligible for a grant to start her own business after completion. The course taught her how to start and formalise her business, manage business resources and cash flow, and identify new markets.

Using the grant, she got from Swaziland Network of Young Positives (SNYP), Phumelele decided to formalise the business. Using the skills, she acquired from the training and the continued mentorship from YSPN, she secured six months' worth of feed for her pigs. This injection of resources allowed her to expand her operations and purchase additional pigs for slaughter. Phumelele was also able to expand her market beyond her community. In addition to her hometown of Mweni, she now sells to neighbouring communities as well. She has seen a surge in the profits of her business which has brought financial stability and security to her family. She also saves at least 400 Swazi Lilangeni (about $21) monthly for her business.

The Young Women Economic Empowerment programme did not only grow Phumelele’s business, but also contributed to her personal development. Motivated to put action to her dreams, she decided to study further, using her earnings from the business. In 2023 she enrolled in a 6-months plumbing course which she completed and got experience from doing her practicals with a local company. She is now awaiting to do her trade test which will certify her as a plumber. Her future is marked by clear goals and unwavering determination, one of those being to acquire her own assets such as a vehicle and house, over the next five years.