WOMEN-OWNED CO-OP SUCCEEDING IN A MAN’S WORLD

April 2021.

Having identified a gap in the local building market, a small group of women, from the Mmakau community, Madibeng Local Municipal area, taught themselves how to make bricks so that they could offer a supply for RDP houses and other community building projects. They then formalised their vision by setting up the ‘Moagi Women Development Primary Cooperative’ and are now, with the help of development funding, able to produce over 2 000 bricks a day.

“We like this kind of work as we are earning a living whilst working towards reducing tin shacks in our village, plus it feels good to excel in a space that is more commonly dominated by men,” said Tabea Seema, General Manager at the Moagi Women Development Primary Cooperative.

These women are planning to expand their production, so that they can supply local hardware companies, in addition to accommodating local community trade. With this increased trade, their goal is to hire six more workers this year.

“This is an amazing example of resilience and foresight. The Maogi Co-Op, which started out with half a bag of cement and a brick mould that produced just one single brick at a time, now has the equipment and skill to produce thousands of units each day, plus they are even able to provide work to other local community women, sharing the skills and knowledge that they have gathered over the years,” said Celiwe Mabaso, Community Operations Manager for De Wildt Solar, who funded a shaded working area to create a resting space for the women who work in the tough outdoor weather conditions. This shaded working area has also created a space for the Co-Op workers to set-up their machinery, which was donated by other funders.

De Wild Solar’s Enterprise Development Programme is aimed at helping small enterprises, such as this Co-Op, to accelerate sustainable growth. It directly benefits communities of Brits, Mmakau, Mothotlung, Lethlabile, Ga-Rankuwa and surrounding areas within a 50km radius of the solar project, through Economic Development projects. These projects include training and accelerator programmes, skills development training and other welfare initiatives.