Grace Ashiru
Everyone suffered during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, for Siyamtanda Hlobo, the enforced lockdowns resulted in developing her hobbies into a life-changing technological start-up called Eleglam Business and Digital Solutions.
Her business was one of ten finalists in the R1 million MTN Women in Digital Business Challenge, and Hlobo won R100,000 to help her grow.
Hlobo says this about how Eleglam came to be: “When I was at home during Covid-19, I wanted to learn something new, so I signed up for an online web development course. I was putting what I had learned to use by making free websites for people I knew when a woman asked me to make a website for her family’s garage business.
Hlobo’s new job began with this minor contract in her East London, South Africa hometown. After getting that first job, she made a site to talk to customers online for the first time. Happy customers brought in more business, which led to the official launch of Eleglam.
“After noticing that many small business owners were unaware of internet potential, I quickly found myself not just developing websites but also counseling small business owners on how to use social media, generate content, and communicate with clients online.”
Hlobo says, “For instance, I helped a sanitation services company that was having trouble marketing their services because they didn’t have any physical products to show potential customers.”
This meant that to make a business proposal; you had to write a profile of your company and spend hours answering each question. I made a site with a way to send messages and automatic catalogs. It told customers what to do and helped them grow their business.”
This brought in new customers and businesses from all over the country.
But Hlobo says she knew Eleglam had come when Microsoft called her and asked her to join their preview customer relationship management program.
MTN became a part of her life in 2021 when she was given a chance to improve her business skills at one of the 50 most promising ICT companies. “The MTN offer had a lot of good things about it. I discovered my weaknesses and how to fix them to build my business.
The next step was the Women in Digital Business Challenge by the MTN SA Foundation. Hlobo, who was one of the ten finalists and won R100,000, has jumped at the chance to grow. She hired a business development consultant and is making an app to help potential college students during the busy and stressful time of year when they sign up for classes.
Hlobo says, “I have a few modules to finish before I get my Unisa diploma in accounting science, and I want to find new customers in cities like Pretoria and Johannesburg.”
The Eleglam success story exemplifies exactly what the MTN Foundation hoped to achieve with this program. It was created to assist ten small female-owned ITC enterprises in attaining success.
“We assisted them by providing the money, coaching, and business support resources they required to take their businesses to the next level,” explains Angie Maloka, senior manager: of community programs at the Foundation.
Hlobo is an excellent example of a woman who has won the challenge. Even though Covid-19 was hard and the economy was terrible, she found a business opportunity and built a successful ICT business.
Our ten finalists are great examples of what women can do in a harsh industry. Maloka says, “We look forward to hearing more about them as they help change the way business is done in South Africa.”
