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</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width=537 height=794 src="cid:image001.png@01D6A6AA.37FD0BF0" align=left hspace=12 v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Visa, She Leads Africa partner to empower female entrepreneurs<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>NAIROBI – Visa has announced its partnership with She Leads Africa - a leading platform that connects female entrepreneurs with the right information and tools that they need to create thriving businesses in their communities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>This partnership forms part of Visa’s ‘Where you Shop Matters’ initiative which was launched in June. It is an initiative that aims to champion and enable entrepreneurs across Africa while encouraging consumers to support small businesses by shopping local.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Women are the backbone of African economies, and according to The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Women’s Entrepreneurship Report 2018/2019, the highest rates the total entrepreneurial activity for women are found in Sub-Saharan Africa (21.8%). Although women are involved in entrepreneurial activity, women in Sub-Saharan Africa tend to face a much higher likelihood of business discontinuance than men.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Through the She Leads Africa Spotlight series, Visa will provide a platform for successful female entrepreneurs, with incredible stories, who will share their business journeys, especially by transitioning to digital channels, in a bid to inspire and help upcoming entrepreneurs spread across Africa. The partnership also includes a This is how I did it series which features digital marketing experts that will provide women with the tools to advance their digital businesses.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Visa’s initiative is helping to support small businesses through the Visa Small Business Hub, a merchant platform providing tools and information on how to start, run and grow small businesses. The platform also features leading merchants who embody the passion and highlights the entrepreneurship journey of small businesses across the continent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>"Our partnership with She Leads Africa, will enable us to engage over 700,000 female entrepreneurs across Africa through digital channels and direct engagements with female owned businesses," said Corine Mbiaketcha, Visa GM for East Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>She also expressed Visa’s commitment towards supporting female entrepreneurs, especially with the current economic realities, and the need for more collaborations within the ecosystem to drive economic recovery.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>"We are so grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Visa to support the incredible women in our community with learning and growth opportunities. Our community is passionate and committed to making an impact with their businesses and partnering with Visa enables us to share resources that will help them take it to the next level," added Afua Osei, co-founder of She Leads Africa.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>African women entrepreneurs continue to face myriad challenges ranging from cultural barriers that require overcoming the narrow classification of child-bearer and or home manager, to a shortage of role models, inadequate access to financial assistance and limited educational opportunities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>"There are too many reasons why female-led organizations fail to flourish and we as Visa are committed to addressing these challenges by partnering with organizations such as She Leads Africa so that we can empower the next generation of female African businesses owners with the tools to not only survive but to thrive," Mbiaketcha concluded.-Visa<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><i><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Invest Wisely!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Bulls n Bears <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Telephone: <a href="tel:%2B263%204%202927658" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;text-decoration:none'>+263 4 2927658</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Cellphone: <a href="tel:%2B263%2077%20344%201674" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;text-decoration:none'>+263 77 344 1674</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Alt. Email: <a href="mailto:info@bulls.co.zw"><span style='color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;text-decoration:none'>info@bulls.co.zw</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Website: <a href="http://www.bullszimbabwe.com"><span style='color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;text-decoration:none'>www.bullszimbabwe.com</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Blog: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulls.co.zw%2Fblog&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFoIy6F9IXAiYnSoPSgWDYsr8Sqtw" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;text-decoration:none'>www.bullszimbabwe.com/blog</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Twitter: @bullsbears2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>LinkedIn: Bulls n Bears Zimbabwe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Facebook: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBullsBearsZimbabwe&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGhb_A5rp4biV1dGHbgiAhUxQqBXA" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;text-decoration:none'>www.facebook.com/BullsBearsZimbabwe</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Skype: Bulls.Bears <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><img border=0 width=210 height=101 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D6A6AA.37FD0BF0" alt="cid:image012.jpg@01D0BFE7.544DF490"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify;line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0cm;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:115%'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>