Zona de Azar South Africa – ICE Africa, “Women in Gaming”: The Challenges of Women in the Gaming Industry
South Africa.- September 26th 2019 www.zonadeazar.com At the beginning of ICE Africa, Charmaine Mabuza, CEO of Zamani Holdings, revealed that only 20% of women occupy leadership roles in the sector.
Charmaine Mabuza, Group CEO of Zamani Holdings, will be part of the Women in Gaming event, within the framework of ICE Africa. In the following interview, he comments on the challenges facing women in the African region.
Zamani Holdings is the official sponsor of the Women in Gaming initiative of ICE Africa, why is this initiative important for the organization?
The issue of Women in Gaming must be addressed urgently. With only 20% of women occupying key leadership roles in the gaming sector and a smaller proportion of this number in ownership positions, it is essential that the industry analyze the reasons why we join together to eradicate gender bias in the sector.
ICE Africa will organize an exclusive Women In Gaming breakfast, how important is it to have events like this one where women from all over the industry can meet, establish contacts and share their experiences?
The challenges facing African business women are the same: navigating in a male-dominated industry, changing the narrative about the ability of women to lead successful entities, the ongoing battle to open the doors that minorities in power are constantly trying to close competent women in the face. These are challenges that we must solve and events like this give us the opportunity to explore and share solutions. The challenges of an African business woman are the same across the continent and require the same solutions.
Different groups of women, depending on the region they come from, have begun to navigate through these challenges. It is important that forces join across the continent and share solutions. Its greatest threat is not the other, but the prejudice against the rise of women in leadership positions.
Where do you see opportunities for other corporations to follow suit and how can this help prepare their brands for the future?
Corporate giants should not block the doors for black women to lead in the gaming industry. They must share opportunities and not aspire to monopolize the industry excluding women, particularly black women.
Zamani is the main sponsor of the ITHUBA lottery project, in your opinion, what differentiates lotteries from other forms of play in Africa? Do you think this vertical can lead the way in terms of driving sustainable business growth across the continent?
In addition to providing enriching opportunities for players, the mandate of the Lotteries is to raise funds that help develop the socioeconomic status of a country. This is something that ITHUBA takes very seriously. In fiscal year 2019, ITHUBA contributed R1.6 billion to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDTF). In this case, ITHUBA, driven by Zamani, has gone beyond the call of duty. Some of the socio-economic initiatives that the group company has implemented include: a youth employment initiative that placed 11 young graduates in various departments within the company in a 12-month internship program; a women’s empowerment program that identified 65 female retailers to develop, train and improve their business skills and a media initiative to raise awareness and instill a sense of responsibility in preventing violence against women, especially Femicide
How can you achieve the balance between social responsibility and allow companies to operate in a competitive environment?
Zamani has implemented solid structures and processes that ensure that daily business operations run smoothly. There are also strict measures, including internal auditing that holds the company accountable and ensures compliance with deadlines. Due to these processes, Zamani does not drop the ball, we remain a responsible corporate citizen who operates successfully and competitively.
Edited by: @MaiaDigital www.zonadeazar.com
