LGBTIQ entrepreneurs: Unlocking the PLUS withinPLUS is an LGBTI Business Network that was founded in 2017 as Africa's very first LGBTIQ chamber of commerce.
by Mambaonline.com
09-11-2022 07:49
in LGBTQIA
Amidst a progressive legal and constitutional landscape for sexual minorities, LGBTIQ entrepreneurs and workers still face barriers to accessing economic opportunities across the business landscape. Photo: PEXELS
PLUS. The LGBTI Business Network was founded in 2017 - with the backing of America's National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and the Other Foundation - as Africa's first LGBTIQ chamber of commerce.
--
Supporting South African LGBTIQ businesses and entrepreneurs, in particular its members, is the core mission and vision of the organisation. It has hosted several successful networking events around the country, including four ground-breaking LGBTIQ Business Summits in Sandton, attending by leading corporations. A focus of the events has been to advocate for LGBTIQ inclusion in companies' supply chains to promote inclusive economic growth.
PLUS also seeks to address the broader economic ecosystem to create a more inclusive business environment for South African LGBTIQ businesses and entrepreneurs and advocates for the review of empowerment and other policies in government and business that can unlock the potential of LGBTIQ entrepreneurs.
ALSO READ: 5 Historical figures that were LGBTQ
--
Identifying the challenges for LGBTIQ companies Amidst a progressive legal and constitutional landscape for sexual minorities, LGBTIQ entrepreneurs and workers still face barriers to accessing economic opportunities across the business landscape. It goes without saying that this discrimination is based on negative views about sexual orientation and harmful perceptions about gender identity and expression.
For example, according to a 2016 Other Foundation report, seven out of 10 South Africans felt strongly that homosexual sex and breaking gender dressing norms were simply wrong' and disgusting.'
While an LGBTIQ owned business may do well when it launches, this can easily change when the owner comes out, especially in some more conservative African markets. Being open about one's sexuality or gender identity can lead to isolation and a decline in business.
--
Zimkhitha Guma, the Manager of PLUS, cites the example of a chef who ran a successful food business. After he came out as LGBTIQ , support for the business began to drop, showing that there is still a high level of discrimination against LGBTIQ entrepreneurs, which negatively impacts their business.
The marginalisation is not only a current reality in South Africa but also is a historical problem. During the pre-democracy years, LGBTIQ people were criminalised, were even more likely to be socially stigmatised and had no protections against discrimination. For black entrepreneurs who are still grappling with economic exclusion and inequality created by Apartheid, being openly LGBTIQ can be a double whammy.
Guma believes that companies that don't consider the LGBTIQ community do so at their own risk. They fail to build relationships with LGBTIQ consumers (who are estimated to represent up to R204 billion in spending power) and potentially miss out on LGBTIQ talented employees who will seek more affirming companies to work in.
It is quite evident that a large number of businesses and companies have not seriously considered the economic costs and consequences of LGBTQIA stigma and discrimination, says Gum. This makes it an all the more important agenda to facilitate the implementation and inclusion of LGBTIQ people in government's strategic plans and policy reviews.
To understand the extent of the negative impact of LGBTIQ economic exclusion, we need to look at some statistics. According to a 2019 Williams Institute School of Law report, the economic cost due to LGBT stigma and discrimination in South Africa is staggering.
The report found that LGB gender nonconforming individuals in South Africa were less likely to be employed than cisgender people and that the salaries of gender-nonconforming gay and bisexual men were, on average, 30% lower than that of gender-conforming heterosexual men.
The institute calculated that this wage discrimination and underemployment related to sexual orientation and gender expression cost the country a whopping US$ 316.8 million annually.
The annual cost to the South African economy of health disparities experienced by LGBT people is estimated at US$ 3.2 billion to US$ 19.5 billion, while between US$ 10.5 million and US$ 64.8 million is lost because of sexual assault disproportionately experienced by LGBT adults.
Identifying the possibilities In its call for corporate action, PLUS places great emphasis on inclusive economic growth and development approaches that leave no one behind. The organisation believes it is vital for government and stakeholders to review and implement policies that will create an enabling environment for LGBTIQ entrepreneurs to succeed.
Guma argues that regulations and policies should be drafted and implemented to ensure that 20% of suppliers are sourced by big business from LGBTIQ entrepreneurs or LGBTIQ-owned enterprises.
PLUS is working to build a vetted and comprehensive LGBTIQ suppliers database, which is accessible to affiliated corporates, one of the organisation's biggest selling points for members. We as PLUS will be ready to connect corporates with those entrepreneurs because they are already there, says Guma.
Apart from big business, Guma also believes that government is not doing enough in working towards great LGBTIQ inclusion and participation in the economy.
The government needs to get on board and seize the opportunity to create inclusive business and workplace polici
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
01/12/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
01/12/2025
Artemis II is NASA's first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft. The crew, from left: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Vic...
01/12/2025
IRVINE, Calif. Wooden Camera has introduced its new Accessory Collection for the Canon EOS C50. The new lineup includes a low-profile, gimbal-ready cage, expand...
01/12/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for its Dec. 18 Open Commission Meeting that will include a vote on a report an...
01/12/2025
In most years, a graph of annual local TV ad spending is about as predictable as an electrocardiogram of a reasonably healthy patient in a doctor's office. ...
01/12/2025
Many industries have seen big-ticket hardware turn into software. Switchers, though, demand a combination of real-time performance and sheer bandwidth that has ...
01/12/2025
GENEVA Shanghai will host the next quadrennial Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-27) and World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-27), Oct. 11-Nov. 12, 2027. This...
01/12/2025
NEW YORK Just in time for Giving Tuesday tomorrow (Dec. 2), the Broadcasters Foundation of America is seeking out donations to help television and radio industr...
01/12/2025
STOCKHOLM, Sweden Net Insight CEO Crister Fritzson has informed the company's board that he will retire from the video transport and media cloud technology ...
01/12/2025
01 Dec 2025
Kyivstar and Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation Select Go...
01/12/2025
The prequel to the global hit Sky Original mob crime saga, Gomorrah' is a s...
01/12/2025
Featuring Florence Welch, Red Hot Chilli Peppers' Flea, designer Bella Freud...
01/12/2025
Back to All News
A Down to Earth, All Too Relatable Hero: Cashero' Teaser ...
01/12/2025
In the rush to deliver content to every screen, many broadcasters overlook one of the most crucial steps in the workflow: format and frame rate conversion. Get ...
01/12/2025
Fox Corporation Chief Financial Officer Steve Tomsic to Participate in Upcoming ...
01/12/2025
Arvato Systems' Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) Receives BSI C5 Certification (T...
01/12/2025
Summary This short video gives you an summary of the changes in under two minutes.
--...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Researchers worldwide rely on open-source technologies as the foundation of their work. To equip the community with the latest advancements in digital and physi...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
LGBTIQ entrepreneurs: Unlocking the PLUS withinPLUS is an LGBTI Business Network that was founded in 2017 as Africa's very first LGBTIQ chamber of commerce.
