Entrepreneurship is often sold as the great equaliser — have a good idea, work hard, build a strong business and the money will follow. But for many women entrepreneurs, getting the money to turn that idea into a viable business can be one of the biggest hurdles they face. From bank loans and venture capital to government funding and private investors, women continue to navigate a financial system where access to capital can be difficult. And the challenge isn't always about whether the
business is viable — sometimes it's about collateral, networks, credit history, the size of the business, or whether investors believe a woman-led company can scale. So, during Women’s Month, we're asking a difficult question: is the funding system genuinely gender-neutral, or are women still having to prove themselves more before someone is willing to put money behind their businesses? Are investors unconsciously more likely to see male entrepreneurs as ambitious, scalable and investment-ready? And what role do property ownership, access to wealth and existing financial networks play in determining which entrepreneurs get a seat at the table? Today, we're putting the entrepreneur and the funder across from each other — to ask where the gap really lies, and what needs to change to ensure that a woman's business idea isn't held back simply because she can't access the capital to grow it.

Entrepreneurship is often sold as the great equaliser &mdash; have a&nbsp;good idea, work hard, build a strong business and the money&nbsp;will follow. But for many women entrepreneurs, getting the&nbsp;money to turn that idea into a viable business can be one of the&nbsp;biggest hurdles they face. From bank loans and venture capital&nbsp;to government funding and private investors, women continue&nbsp;to navigate a financial system where access to capital can be&nbsp;difficult. And the challenge isn't always about whether the business is viable &mdash; sometimes it's about collateral, networks,&nbsp;credit history, the size of the business, or whether investors&nbsp;believe a woman-led company can scale.&nbsp;So, during Women&rsquo;s Month, we're asking a difficult question: is&nbsp;the funding system genuinely gender-neutral, or are women still&nbsp;having to prove themselves more before someone is willing to&nbsp;put money behind their businesses? Are investors&nbsp;unconsciously more likely to see male entrepreneurs as&nbsp;ambitious, scalable and investment-ready? And what role do&nbsp;property ownership, access to wealth and existing financial&nbsp;networks play in determining which entrepreneurs get a seat at&nbsp;the table?&nbsp;Today, we're putting the entrepreneur and the funder across&nbsp;from each other &mdash; to ask where the gap really lies, and what&nbsp;needs to change to ensure that a woman's business idea isn't&nbsp;held back simply because she can't access the capital to grow&nbsp;it.

METRO FM Talk with Faith Mangope