Claudette Sigamoney: a KZN visionary entrepreneur
"Being the vice president of the Chamber has given me more exposure than I’ve ever had before and enabled me to be part of various platforms. This role has also empowered me to work with other businesses. I have learnt a lot of skills and have grown myself as an entrepreneur. I lead by example." – Claudette Sigamoney
We are excited to speak to a woman who has been called a 'visionary entrepreneur' with extensive experience in entrepreneurship, empowerment and community upliftment.
Today, Carol Ofori's Woman Crush is Claudette Sigamoney.
Sigamoney is the former Vice President and Chairperson of the SMME (the Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprise Sector of South Africa) and entrepreneurial development of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
She is currently the Managing Director of CiaLeeTeez (Pty) Ltd and Impilwenhle, where she empowers and enhances the skills of both women and youth entrepreneurs. Here, she specialises in township talk, rural development, entrepreneurial development and the overall growth of small businesses.
Sigamoney has an extraordinary passion for growing SMMEs, and her background in the Chamber of Commerce and SMMEs has prepared her for the work she is doing now.
"She is a business strategist and influence maker who drives dialogues and business engagements between various stakeholders. Claudette has been very involved with round table conferences, where she spends much of her time concentrating on marrying SMMEs with big corporates to promote procurement opportunities. Her leadership ability has also diversified into roles such as keynote speaker, public speaker and programme director on various business and government platforms." (KZN Top Business)
It is inspiring to hear her mission of merging the worlds of small businesses and corporations. A vision that sounds worthy and precisely meets the needs of the future of business and entrepreneurship.
We go out into the rural areas and identify the needs of the municipalities. This includes skills such as sewing, upholstery, agriculture, and baking. We also identify the needs for skills amongst individuals – a school leaver, a woman sitting at home, or a gogo taking care of her grandchildren. We teach the required skills over a 12-week Seta accredited programme. After completing the course, each participant receives an appropriate tool such as a sewing machine so that they may continue to use their craft. Through learning a skill, each woman is then able to take care of herself and provide for her family.
The road to success has been with a few bumps and Sigamoney has expressed that it takes networking, working in and on the business, collaborating, and recognising opportunities.
Her ambition and grit don't go unnoticed, and she stands as a true warrior against life's harsh realities.
Sigamoney is a single parent to three sons. Two of her sons, Clerrade and Tyronne, suffer from muscular dystrophy and were wheelchair-bound by the ages of 13 and 10, respectively. Tragically, Tyronne passed away in 2016 after being on life support for two years. Her eldest son, Lyronne, is an industrial engineer, married, and lives in Cape Town.
Everyone in business knows that I am always a cheerful person and always have a smile. Amidst all the struggles that I have had, I just embrace life and live each day and take it as an opportunity to make things right, to empower others with my own life’s journey. If I can do that for one person, I have done my fair share. You need to empower yourself more than anything else – read, be part of business formations, be part of women’s organisations if you can. Celebrate your best life and just embrace it.
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