The Chemical Industries Education and Training Authority (CHIETA) is taking deliberate steps to ensure that women and small enterprises are not left behind in South Africa’s chemical sector transformation.
Speaking to Vutivi News during Women’s Month, CEO Yershen Pillay said the authority was intensifying its push to build a new generation of female entrepreneurs and 4IR-ready small businesses that could compete in the chemical value chain.
Chemical industries contribute billions of rand to South Africa’s GDP, yet women make up less than 30% of the workforce and hold an even smaller share of ownership.
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Pillay believes that changing this dynamic requires more than token training programmes.
“We are creating pathways for women to own laboratories, run compliance firms, supply safety equipment and lead manufacturing plants,” Pillay said.
“It is about equipping them with the technical expertise, business skills and networks to thrive.”
This year, CHIETA has aligned its Women’s Month activities with a broader digital transformation strategy.
The authority is backing the University of Johannesburg’s newly launched Centre for Digital Transformation, a hub that will accelerate Fourth Industrial Revolution skills in robotics, artificial intelligence advanced manufacturing and data analytics.
These technologies are reshaping the chemical sector, from automating factory processes to developing sustainable, bio-based products.
The push is not only about high-tech skills. It is also about creating an enabling environment for women to participate as suppliers, service providers and innovators.
CHIETA is forging partnerships with private sector buyers, industry mentors and financiers to connect trained women and small business owners to actual contracts.
Pillay explained that too many training programmes failed because they were disconnected from the market.
“If you train a woman in laboratory testing but she has no access to clients or equipment, the skills will not translate into a livelihood,” he said.
Pillay also cautioned against symbolic gestures that failed to create lasting change.
“We must move beyond slogans during Women’s Month. While celebrating women is important, what truly matters is sustainable action that removes barriers and creates real opportunities,” Pilly noted.
One of the areas with untapped potential was green chemistry. As companies move towards sustainability, there was a growing demand for renewable energy solutions, waste management services, and environmentally friendly cleaning agents.
Pillay saw these as ideal entry points for women-owned SMEs, which could offer specialised, flexible services without the overheads of larger competitors.
Funding remains a significant obstacle.
Purchasing advanced equipment or setting up certified facilities requires capital that many women-owned SMEs did not have.
CHIETA was working on blended finance models that combined grants with affordable loans, while also lobbying for procurement reforms that favoured inclusive supply chains
“It is not enough to say we want women in the industry; we must dismantle the structural barriers that keep them out,” Pillay said.
By linking skills development to real-world market opportunities, CHIETA aims to ensure that women and township-based entrepreneurs are not excluded from the lucrative shift towards a greener, tech-driven chemical industry. For Pillay, the long-term vision is clear: a sector where local women-owned businesses compete not only in South Africa but also in global value chains.
“The future chemical industry will not be built by large corporations alone. It will be shaped by entrepreneurs who understand both technology and community needs. Women must be at the forefront of that future,” he said.
If CHIETA’s strategy succeeds, it could transform one of South Africa’s most complex and capital-intensive sectors into a model of inclusion, proving that with targeted skills, access to finance, and industry linkages, women can move from the margins of the chemical industry to its very centre.
