Women leaders in government have called for bold, practical measures to strengthen women’s economic participation, noting that commitments must translate into real opportunities across Africa and within South Africa.

Speaking at the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG) Women to Africa event in Johannesburg on Friday, Minister of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, stressed the importance of financial inclusion as a foundation for resilient economies.

“No economy can claim resilience if more than half its people — women, young and old — remain locked out of markets, of finance, of safety, and of dignity,” Chikunga said.

She argued that Africa’s largest integration project, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), must open its value chains to women, who already make up 70% of cross-border traders. “If AfCFTA does not work for women, it will not work for Africa,” she added.

What is AfCFTA?

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the world’s largest free trade zone by country count, covering all 55 African Union states.

• Creates a single market of 1.3 billion people with a GDP of over $3.4 trillion.
• Aims to boost trade within Africa by cutting tariffs and easing movement of goods, services, and investment.
• Women already make up about 70% of cross-border traders, so AfCFTA could help integrate them into formal value chains.
• Success depends on ensuring women and small businesses can access markets, finance, and infrastructure.

Chikunga highlighted both progress and persistent gaps: women now represent 43% of Cabinet, 43.5% of Parliament, and 45% of the judiciary, while procurement law makes the 40% set-aside for women binding. Yet unemployment among women remains at 35.7%, young women face joblessness above 44%, women account for less than 13% of patent holders, and the cost of gender-based violence drains billions from the economy.

She called for bold shifts: financing the “missing middle” of women-owned enterprises that fall between microfinance and traditional banking; placing women at the forefront of new industries such as renewable energy, agritech, and advanced manufacturing; and enforcing accountability with measurable targets.

At a separate event in Richards Bay on Saturday, Deputy Minister Mmapaseka Steve Letsike urged women entrepreneurs in ICT, agriculture, finance, hospitality, education, and energy to harness procurement opportunities and government support measures, including the R3.2 billion Women Empowerment Fund.

“Empowerment is not an act of goodwill; it is our collective responsibility,” Letsike said. She stressed that women’s participation must be tracked and enforced, and warned that too many women-owned businesses remain trapped in the informal sector due to lack of access to markets and supply chains.

Letsike also highlighted the role of the Women’s Economic Assembly in opening value chains in mining, agriculture, automotive, retail, and ICT to women-owned enterprises, while underscoring the need to bridge the digital divide. “When women are digitally connected, they are economically connected,” she said.

Together, both leaders underscored that the time for symbolic commitments has passed. Transformation requires financing, access to markets, digital inclusion, and accountability systems that ensure women entrepreneurs are no longer left behind.