Standard Bank EmpowHER Conference Cape Town 2024 Winner Announced!
Standard Bank EmpowHER Conference Cape Town 2024 Winner Announced! The Standard Bank Top Women EmpowHER Conference, hosted by Topco Media, took place at the elegant Rockefeller Hotel on 23 May, bringing together an inspiring array of female entrepreneurs and business leaders. This event, part of the larger EmpowHER Development Series, aimed to foster entrepreneurship and facilitate valuable networking opportunities for women in business.
Cleopatra Van Ster, founder of Nurseit Primary & Occupational Healthcare Services, was announced as the 2024 winner of the EmpowHER Cape Town regional pitching event. Van Ster’s business focuses on providing affordable and quality primary healthcare services to underserved communities. “We provide access to private health care at affordable costs. Where you would pay R3,000 for sutures at a private hospital, we charge R500, but give you the same quality service while still making a profit,” Van Ster explained. “Your business can only be sustainable if you’re not working in it, but working on your business.”
Nqobile Nzuza, the provincial head of the enterprise banking team at Standard Bank in the Western Cape, opened the conference with a powerful keynote address. Emphasising the significance of empowering women in leadership roles, Nzuza highlighted the resilience and contributions of South African women entrepreneurs. She spoke candidly about the challenges women face, such as achieving work-life balance, and offered practical advice on setting boundaries, delegating, and prioritising self-care.
“By changing nothing, nothing ever changes. You are here because you’re a top woman,” Nzuza affirmed. “Balancing life doesn’t mean changing your whole life. It means small things, and I think small things matter. Set and enforce boundaries, delegate, outsource when needed, prioritise self-care, and use technology. What’s most important is that every single day, you wake up and show up.”
“A heartfelt thank you goes out to our esteemed panel of judges for their invaluable contributions and expertise throughout the event. We extend our gratitude to Nqobile Nzuza, head of Enterprise Banking, Western Cape, Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank; Heléne Smuts, board member of EO Accelerator (EOA) and founder of Credo Growth; Jade Snell-Engledoe, head of Sector Specialists, Western Cape, Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank; and Nthabeleng Leballo, head of Relationship Banking, Proposition Management, Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank. Their dedication and insight were instrumental in ensuring the success and integrity of the EmpowHER Conference. We deeply appreciate their commitment to supporting women entrepreneurs and fostering a culture of empowerment in the business community,” concludes Ralf Fletcher, CEO of Topco Media.
The EmpowHER Conference exemplified the power of women-led businesses and the critical role of support systems in fostering business growth. Standard Bank’s continued partnership with Topco Media for the EmpowHER Development Series highlights its commitment to driving meaningful change in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
