Media Release: Minister Winde congratulates WC winners of national awards

As Women’s Month draws to a close, two Western Cape businesses have received national recognition in separate awards ceremonies honouring women and women empowerment.

Western Cape pig farmer Leandre Mitchley walked away with the national award for the top small holder farming entrepreneur at the Female Entrepreneur Awards held in East London last week.

Leandre started her enterprise in 2011 with just two pigs on a rented small holding near Malmesbury, growing her business to 200 pigs, and branching out to include 20 sheep as well. However disease caused her to loose several of her pigs- a setback she is still trying to recover from.

Following her national award she said:  “I’m feeling very blessed and happy about my prize. I really need the prize money as I lost most of my pigs (due to diseases) from 2015 – 2017. I will use the money to replenish my stock. I have worked very hard and suffered tremendously and God blessed me with this prize.”

Minister of Economic Opportunities, Alan Winde said: “Leandre’s hard work and commitment to her business, even when times were tough were some of the attributes that made her a natural winner for the provincial prize. We are delighted that the national panel saw the same attributes, and we hope that this recognition and prize money will catapult her business to new heights.”

The Standard Bank Top Women Awards which were held in Gauteng last week recognised Green Cape as the top gender empowered company in the energy and utilities sector.

Women make up 57% of Green Cape’s 42 member team - a real achievement as the green economy, science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields are typically male dominated fields.

Minister Winde said: “This award recognises the hard work that Green Cape is doing to ensure that women take their place in the energy sector. By ensuring that women are active participants in this sector, Green Cape is leading the way in helping other women enter these traditionally male-dominated fields.”