KWAZULU-NATAL WOMEN AND YOUTH THRIVE UNDER DSD’S JAPANESE-INSPIRED SMME PROGRAMME

By Precious Mupenzi

• The Department of Social Development is piloting an innovative Japanese entrepreneurship training programme across four provinces, looking to turn it into a national programme.
• ⁠The department’s Gender and Women Empowerment Directorate has trained 200 community development practitioners to train others in the Kaizen Model of continuous improvement, targeting women entrepreneurs.
•  ⁠“This programme is not just about skills training, it is about enabling rural women and youth to take control of their economic futures,” says the director for programme and policy evaluation, Desiree Jason.

In a country where women make up more than half the population – approximately 32.13 million, according to Statistics South Africa’s 2024 mid-year estimates – the stark truth remains: women continue to face deeply entrenched economic marginalisation.

Over 12.5 million women rely on social grants, and only 7.4 million are employed compared to 9.2 million men, highlighting an enduring gender gap in economic participation.

Behind these statistics lies a bigger picture of structural inequality, where poverty, unemployment, and inequality disproportionately affect women, especially those in rural areas and informal settlements.

This triple burden has led to what many call the “feminisation of poverty”, rooted in a history of patriarchal systems that have long prioritised men in education, employment, and economic opportunity.

But change is underway, one practical step at a time.

The Department of Social Development, through its Gender and Women Empowerment Directorate, is piloting an innovative entrepreneurship training programme inspired by the Kaizen Japanese Model of continuous improvement.

This initiative is currently being rolled out in four provinces – KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo, and the Eastern Cape – with KwaZulu-Natal emerging as a shining example of how local adaptation of global models can empower some of the country’s most marginalised citizens.

“This programme is not just about skills training, it is about enabling rural women and youth to take control of their economic futures,” says the director for programme and policy evaluation, Desiree Jason.

“The Kaizen approach is practical and contextualised for South African realities, making it accessible to those with low literacy levels, especially in rural and informal settings.”

Aligning with global commitments

The initiative is more than a training programme; it is a tangible demonstration of South Africa’s commitment to global and national frameworks aimed at advancing gender equality, particularly the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

The convention and similar policy instruments advocate for targeted interventions that enable women’s participation in the economy and society at large.

What is Kaizen?

Kaizen, a Japanese term meaning “continuous improvement”, is a business philosophy built on the idea of making small, consistent changes to improve productivity, efficiency, and quality.

The model rejects large-scale overhauls in favour of incremental improvements, making it especially suitable for women entrepreneurs in low-income and under-resourced settings.

It offers practical business training aimed at promoting continuous improvements and enhancing productivity for small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

The Kaizen Model, introduced to South Africa through a partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), encourages entrepreneurs to make small but consistent changes to improve business operations.