A delegation of over 40 Tunisian women entrepreneurs operating in various fields, will participate in the 5th edition of the annual forum of the International Women Entrepreneur Council (CIFE), due February 26-28 in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) on the theme: ‘Digital transformation: A growth opportunity for women entrepreneurs in Africa.’

This first African mission of CIFE aims, through this Forum, to lay a platform for sharing and co-operation between African women, raise awareness about the digital revolution and shed light on business opportunities between women entrepreneurs of the continent.

The forum will combine conferences, exhibitions and B2B meetings involving specialists and entrepreneurs from different African countries.

The STB and the Tunisian Post are the financial sponsors of this forum and will also be the financiers of the potential partnership projects that could result from the forum.

CIFE member and commissioner of the forum Donia Hammouda said that ‘having the STB and the Tunisian Post as financial partners is a chance for women entrepreneurs wishing to invest in African countries; financing being an essential pillar of investment and sustainability of investments.’

Hammouda also specified that ‘the city of Abidjan has been selected to host the first exploration mission of CIFE because it is a real door for sub-Saharan Africa, opening on the various African markets.’

‘There are over 20,000 women entrepreneurs in Tunisia, and the partnership opportunities that the African market offers for these women are enormous. As such, digitalisation is a vector of growth and undeniable competitiveness that will consolidate exchanges between women entrepreneurs on the continent,’ she pointed out.

For her part, President of the STB board of directors Najia Gharbi considered in a media statement, ‘that the presence of STB in Africa through its participation in the Nigerian bank company (SONIBANK) will help support Tunisian women entrepreneurs in their quest for the African market.

Gharbi also stressed that ‘the STB is also negotiating with international and regional donors the possibility of opening financing lines for these entrepreneurs.’

She called on Tunisian entrepreneurs to make the most of the public guarantee and support mechanisms for the internationalisation of companies available in Tunisia (COTUNACE, CEPEX, etc.), specifying that a special effort is being exerted by the Tunisian public banks to guarantee Tunisian investors better coverage of foreign exchange risks and various risks related to foreign markets.’

-Tunis Daily News