Wise Cracks & Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator to Empower Women

The automobile repair business in South Africa has traditionally been dominated by men, leaving young women with little prospects to gain meaningful employment in the field. Furthermore, the Eastern Cape has 52% young unemployment, increasing the gender discrepancy. In response, a ground-breaking collaboration has arisen to confront this problem full on.

Wise Cracks, a local windscreen repair firm, has partnered with the Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator to empower young women in Eastern Cape slums. The joint pilot project, funded by the DG Murray Trust, aims to generate micro-entrepreneurship possibilities for women as windshield repairers in local communities while encouraging a greener approach to car repair.

The idea entails giving young women portable windshield repair supplies as well as the technical and soft skills training they need to start their own enterprises. This project not only provides them with the equipment they need to repair rather than replace windscreens, but it also encourages self-employment in a male-dominated industry.

Candidates were chosen following a rigorous procedure on sayouth.mobi, which included a thorough evaluation of their sales expertise, customer service ability, resilience, and physical dexterity. Eleven young ladies received their repair kits after a week of instruction. After eighteen months, 10 students have mastered the technical components of the program and obtained transferable entrepreneurial skills, allowing them to work part-time as windshield repairers.

Lisakhanya Matiso, one of the success stories, discovered financial security and business confidence while earning her BCom in Industrial Psychology through Wise Cracks. Not only has the program brought work prospects, but it has also opened the route for personal and professional development.

In the future, the effort intends to enhance and expand the concept, gaining more candidates and money to help micro-entrepreneurs get market access. Collaboration with insurance companies, original equipment manufacturers, and car dealerships is also on the horizon, which bodes well for South Africa's young women in the automobile repair business.

With continued encouragement and mentoring, these young women are breaking down barriers and setting the path for long-term change in their communities and industries.