Mthatha-born Yamkela Njingolo has been invited to join a panel of women to speak at the 2019 South African Women’s Entrepreneurs Conference, to be held at The Maslow Hotel in Johannesburg next week.
The annual conference aims to support entrepreneurship and create opportunities among women countrywide through support and empowerment. It also emphasises the importance of gender equality in business, which is crucial to creating inclusive and sustainable economies and societies.
“Madam Nji”, as Njingolo is known, said the conference was also about bringing together a think-tank of inspiring women leaders who could amplify their message of expanding and sustaining businesses with socially impactful initiatives in communities around South Africa.
“It's a huge honour for me to be part of the event, speaking alongside women I also look up to in the different industries they represent.
“The conference is a platform to share and engage with key industry roleplayers with the intention of also inspiring emerging entrepreneurs,” she said.
Njingolo holds a qualification in business administration, which she completed while registering her first business, Yuanji Occasions and Developments.
Yuanji is a family-infused acronym which stands for; Yamkela Unathi Abulele Njingolo (which derives from her first name and those of her two siblings).
Yuanji Occasions and Developments is a growing brand which specialises in bespoke events, corporate events, weddings and cleaning services.
Njingolo previously played an active role in a local agriculture co-operation project in Stutterheim in which Yuanji had a 20% equity share, and she is currently tapping into the manufacturing space.
“As a business we believe in our product, we believe in the strength and dignity of what we offer and excel in quality, which has made it successful,” she said.
In April 2016, Njingolo launched her non-profit organisation The Boss Babes Movement SA, which provides career and entrepreneurial guidance to South African women.
In March 2017 she was elected to sit on the national board of the PPF (Progressive Professionals Forum) Business Forum, where she served as deputy secretary-general.
In May she was elected to head enterprise development at the Eastern Cape Black Management Business Forum: Young Professionals.
Njingolo was recently elected as the new Gauteng provincial executive committee member of the ANC Professionals League (ANCPL)...