CSG Partners with Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative to Empower Female ICT Entrepreneurs to Defy Social Norms in South Africa

News release by CSG

Cape Town | July 28, 2021 01:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time

CSG^® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced new growth in its partnership with Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi), one of Africa’s oldest tech incubators, to broaden the organisation’s Women in Business program nationwide as part of CSG South Africa’s commitment to making tech skills accessible and the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE).

The Women in Business program supports female entrepreneurs to implement and adopt digital platforms and programs that up-skill their technological acuity to drive business growth and promote inclusion. This year, 30 female information and communications technology (ICT) entrepreneurs will participate in a ten-week course before three finalists are ultimately selected to continue in a ten-month entrepreneurial program that includes opportunities to connect with CSG women in leadership.

“Creating space for women and underrepresented voices across the innovation and technology ecosystem is critical to driving economic impact in our communities and diversifying the tech talent pipeline,” said Channing Jones, chief diversity and social responsibility officer, CSG. “We are committed to supporting work that builds capacity and offers access to leadership skills crucial to success in entrepreneurship to foster a more inclusive economy. CSG is proud to partner with the Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative to expand the Women in Business program across the region.”

Established in 1999, CiTi works at the intersection of business, government, and society. Its mission is to build a future-fit, inclusive community and shape the future economy through innovation and technology. CiTi's Women in Business initiative is a flagship programme aimed at strategically supporting and developing female entrepreneurs. More than 1,700 women have gone through the program, and over 1,500 more have applied to join.

"In Africa, women business owners are defying social norms in the face of systemic obstacles including limited access to funding, inadequate scaling resources, and challenges with work-life balance," said Lara Rosmarin, head of incubation and entrepreneurial development, Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative. "Through the Women in Business programme, we help women overcome these hurdles with strategic support, mentoring, peer to peer learning, and networking opportunities that enable them to navigate tough competition and thrive. With CSG’s support, we are thrilled to now accept nationwide requests and provide female business owners across all of South Africa with the powerful tools they need to grow their businesses."

The program is open for submissions from Wednesday, 28th July 2021 to Thursday, 12th August 2021.

Applications can be submitted at https://bit.ly/3yBL1RK.

For more information on the CiTi Women in Business programme, email wibapps@citi.org.za.

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About CSG

For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetise, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra.

To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

About Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative

The Cape Innovation & Technology Initiative (CiTi) is a Non-Profit Company with a mission to build a futureproof, inclusive society through technology and innovation.

CiTi was established in 1999 and operates at the intersection of business, government and society to positively shape the future of the economy and society through the use of innovation and technology. We see this model as the key driver of systemic regional change and progression.

CiTi achieves its mission through the following interventions:

Entrepreneurial development, support and incubation;
Digital job readiness and skills development - training young people to enter the digital economy;
Open innovation clusters - picking industries of the future and supporting and stimulating their growth.

CiTi continues to look at areas that will be transformative in 20 years and have an impact in five years. We are scaling

our work throughout the continent to stimulate and build inclusive transformation within the digital economy.

For more than 21 years, CiTi has helped businesses become more sustainable through the implementation of customised incubation, acceleration, training and support programmes for entrepreneurs, SMMEs and corporate businesses.

Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved.

CSG Contacts

Kristine Østergaard

Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations

+44 (0)79 2047 7204

kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com

John Rea

Investor Relations

+1 (210) 687-4409

john.rea@csgi.com

CiTi Contacts

Marietjie Engelbrecht

Head of Marketing