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Hadebe, owner of the Tholubonge Pottery was recognised for having successfully exploited technology to improve quality and production of her business products, including making dinner sets and coffee mugs that she sells to local and overseas markets.
Earlier, she had emerged as the Textile, Clothing and Craft category winner of the TWIB contest.
The Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, Lindiwe Hendricks handed over the award, a 4 X 4 car to an unbelieving Hadebe. The car, sponsored by African Legend Technologies is worth R200 000.
The overall winner and the winners of the sector categories won a computer, computer software and training as well as a business trip to Denmark. The trip, which is sponsored by the Danish Government's development agency, DANIDA, is aimed at exposing the businesses to technology in this country as well as to look for potential business opportunities in the Danish market.
Congratulating the winner, the Deputy Minister said the competition had been really tough, 'but Hadebe met all the requirements needed by candidates to win'. She said Hadebe's company used technology as a tool for growth, it employed women and had a sound community involvement.
'Like other winner's Hadebe is now faced with the challenge of becoming a TWIB ambassador whose role will be to ensure that other women are motivated and organised into business and are ultimately in a position to create their own businesses opportunities and jobs for others in the country,' she said.
Accepting her prize, a shocked and a tearful Hadebe advised women 'to be brave and start their own business. It does not matter where you are and how small you start, you can do it.'
She called upon women, especially those in rural areas to organise themselves and work together as business partners to create their own opportunities and to be more involved in community development where they live.
TWIB, which is in its 6th year, is according to Hendricks exposing women to technology as a business solution and is a value-adding tool. Adding that the programme has helped women to deal with challenges of a globalised world. 'Unless our women understand technology and its value they will not be able to be competitive in such a challenging environment,' she stressed.
She observed that TWIB has over the years achieved its mission to create awareness to promote the use of technology to advance business. 'The programme is growing from strength to strength'.
Mining entrepreneur Bridgette Radebe, who gave the keynote address as the event, said there was a need to level playing fields in order to pave way for more women to enter the business sector, especially male dominated sectors such as mining and construction.
She encouraged women to take advantage of the enabling environment created by legislation in the country and to succeed in business and become equal participants in the mainstream economy.
The sector category winners were:
Construction and Infrastructure sector: Getrude Boniwe Xakaxa of Themba LaBantu Construction from the Eastern Cape;
ICT sector: Faye Kader of Small World Net café from the Northern Cape;
Manufacturing sector: Beverly van Wyk and Lisa Beck of Stretch - a-Tac from Gauteng;
Textile, Clothing and Craft: Tholakele Hadebe of Tholubonge Pottery from KwaZulu Natal (and overall winner);
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