Empowerment, confidence, and technical ability are powerful forces. When combined and put to use in environments where circumstances have denied people access to learning, they can change lives. This can be seen through Estelle Olifant, an ICT entrepreneur who has combined her passion for tech with concern for women who suffer from social ills, which often lead back to gender-based violence. Showing how learning can transform lives and build a profitable business led to her winning R100 000 as one of the ten finalists in the MTN Foundation’s Women in Digital Business Challenge.
At a superficial glance, Olifant’s business, Swiftstar Technology, is where women from her Cape community can gather to learn computer skills. And while it is a place to learn new skills, it is also a place of safety.
“It is unfortunate that gender-based violence is common in our community. To some of the women who attend our classes, the courses are an escape from unhappy homes, violence,
and being dependent on their spouses’ incomes,” says Olifant.
“I encourage women living in constant fear to look beyond their circumstances and consider how they can change their lives. Part of this process is learning a skill that creates independence and enables you to improve your life permanently.”
“It is common at Swiftstar, which specialises in teaching computer skills at all levels to women between the ages of 18 and 35, that a woman arrives at our site as a scared, timid individual and leaves as an empowered woman who can begin life anew.”
Although her tech path was interrupted by personal difficulties, it was rekindled when she worked for a local company specialising in cloud computing and began learning about the wide world of tech. Eventually, her life was centred on a family-owned store that assisted people with computer sales and repairs. Swiftstar opened in 2020 and began growing organically. After equipping people with computer skills, for Olifant it was only natural that the company should also help its graduates find work.
“Even though we offer the service, we go to considerable lengths to ensure a good match between our graduates and future employers. We are proud that most of our original clients stay in contact with us. From the early days, when we only had 30 customers, we now help 115 people and have a staff of 15. We plan to use our prize money to expand our services
further and seek new opportunities and partnerships both locally and internationally.”
“MTN has played a large role in our success. Their investment in our business began with a course on business principles and then by our inclusion in the MTN Foundation Women in Digital Business Challenge. Their guidance and practical advice have benefited us and the women we have empowered.”
“Swiftstar shows that business and community are not mutually exclusive. It is through thoughtful socially conscious entrepreneurs like Estelle that change, and hope can be fostered in communities,” Angie Moloka, Senior Manager: Community Programmes at the Foundation.
“It is heartening to see that our investment of R1 million in the business challenge has not only grown strong businesses like Swiftstar, but also helped in alleviating grave societal issues. As an initiative designed to help set ten small female-owned IC companies on the road to success, there is no doubt that our ambitions have not only been achieved, but also surpassed.”
“Estelle Olifant is a woman who combined empathy for people within her community and her business interests to achieve great things. She is an inspiration who has proved that women can succeed in IT whilst also uplifting those around them,” says Moloka.
