BY PHUMELELE GAMEDZE
MBABANE — A personal battle with burnout, illness and an eventual autoimmune disease diagnosis has inspired I Pink founder Nadja Smoor to create a platform where women can connect around business, technology and wellness.
Smoor shared her journey during an interview on Kusile Breakfast Show on Eswatini TV, ahead of the Innovative Her Indaba, scheduled for September 30 at the Convention Center, eZulwini.
The event brings together conversations around women in technology, business and wellness, areas Smoor said emerged from her own experience of having to rebuild her life and rethink her approach to business.
Smoor said her journey began while working in communications following the “I Love Eswatini ” national campaign, before moving into public relations.
She said the demands of the industry eventually took a toll on her health.
“I experienced burnout after all of that. I got very sick, lost my hair. I was about 18 to 20 kilos bigger. I got very sick, and I thought it was cancer specialist after specialist,” she said.
According to Smoor, it took consultations with 12 doctors before she was eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.
“I had to go back to the drawing board and find myself, and decide what I was going to do in business,” she said.
She then returned to learning, upskilling in business and technology while beginning what she described as her journey to wellness.
“So those are actually what brought about the foundations of the three segments we are bringing into the event, which is business, tech, and wellness,” Smoor said.
Smoor said research conducted for the initiative showed that while women’s participation in technology and leadership has grown over the past 25 years, women remain underrepresented in several areas.
She said the event, which initially began as a 20 person workshop concept, is intended to create space for women to meet, exchange ideas and build relationships.
“We know that it’s a slowly growing space,” she said.
Smoor pointed to women holding senior positions in banking, government and local government as examples of progress, while noting that barriers to entry remain.
“This is an opportunity to bring conversations into the room, for women to talk, to collaborate, to network, and to see different types of women that they’ve never met before,” she said.
For Smoor, wellness is not an additional theme but a central part of the conversation.
She said the event’s visual concept reflects its three areas of focus, with one side representing business, another representing the digital world, and a hand over the heart representing wellness.
“It’s reminding us every single day to pause,” she said.
“As women, we are heads of families, of institutions. We are mothers, we are sisters, we are daughters in law, we are best friends and we are running all of this. When do we actually get the time to actually pause?”
The programme will include discussions on women in the workplace, mental health, physical wellness and women’s health, including contributions from speakers joining virtually from South Africa.
Smoor encouraged young women interested in technology and business to pursue opportunities, seek mentorship and build relationships.
“Go for it,” she said.
“You have to have hard work, inspiration, passion. Find a mentor, be mentored. We have powerful women in this country. We have powerhouses. Collaborate with other people.”
She said the Indaba is ultimately about opening conversations that can continue beyond the one day event.
“I do understand it’s a one-day event, but it’s unlocking the conversation,” she said.
The event is expected to bring together young innovators fresh from university, women entering their first jobs, corporate professionals, entrepreneurs, start-ups, executives, non-executives, policymakers and board members.
Smoor said the programme will also feature panels, keynote speakers, lightning talks and women led pop up stalls showcasing innovation and business.
She said the event’s origins also connect with an earlier marketplace initiative which featured 84 stores.
The Indaba will take place on September 30 at the Convention Center in eZulwini, with registration information available through I Pink’s social media platforms.
For Smoor, however, the invitation is more personal than professional.
“I would love to say to every single woman: join us, be a part of this experience. Do this for you. Every day we do things for everyone else, do it for you.”
Source: Kusile Breakfast Show, Eswatini TV
#Eswatini #WomenInBusiness #WomenInTech #Wellness
(Courtesy Pic)
