"It's Africa's Time" focuses on women empowerment, enterprise development
Episode 10 of "It's Africa's Time" premiered on Tuesday, 10 September at 7.30am on CNBC Africa, DSTV channel 410; and will have repeats on Saturday, 14 September at 10.30am and Tuesday, 17 September at 21.30pm CAT. It features examples of the inclusive business strategies and commitments to sustainable development of two major players in these industries; and interviews from UNDP and The Africa Progress Panel.
"It's Africa's Time" visits Midrand in South Africa's Gauteng province to meet with Meshack Matswi, beneficiary of Adcock Ingram's notable enterprise development Owner-Driver Scheme.
The Owner-Driver Scheme is designed to give people an opportunity to own their own enterprises as part of the company's distribution chain. The successful candidates are selected from a rigorous interview process and receive assistance to finance the vehicle/s which they will own. The Owner-Driver Scheme also provides drivers with training in various standard operating procedures, new logistical technologies and other business management skills to ensure that they receive the best chance at success with their business.
"The scheme will further action our direct to customer distribution capability and strengthen the Group's competitiveness. We are proud to be a part of such a life-changing programme, and to be adding value to the lives of the new business owners," said Tobie Krige, logistics executive, Adcock Ingram.
Always keeping girls in school
In Vaalwater, Limpopo "It's Africa's Time" visits a Primary and a Secondary School, both of which have benefited from P&G's outreach campaign for girls. The objective of the Always Keeping Girls in School campaign is to empower female learners and to keep them in school through providing them with puberty education Always sanitary protection, access to educational resources and motivation to stay in school.
"School attendance levels are the main metric of the program's success. A secondary result, which we didn't expect initially, is a drop in teenage pregnancy rates in the schools where the program is implemented. This is because girls now understand what is happening to their bodies and they are more confident, which means taking more responsible decisions for themselves," says Jeanne du Plessis, communication manager at P&G.
The campaign currently reaches 20,000 girls in South Africa and Kenya and since 2006 has touched the lives of over 80,000 girls around the world.
With South African TV personality Natalie Becker as presenter, the show is produced by Regency Foundation Networx in association with Cape Town-based production company, Man Makes a Picture, and supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
