Over three hundred people in the province's seven districts have benefited from the initiative.

Women cooperatives equalling to 50 in the Eastern Cape have received a financial boost from the Department of Social Development.

In this financial year, this financial boost was done in two different ways. Forty women cooperatives received funding of R20 million after having applied and submitted their business plans. Ten other women cooperatives from around provincial kingdoms, chosen by leaders of the House of Traditional Leaders in partnership with the department, received a funding of R5 million.

Eight projects from Amathole and Chris Hani districts, five from Alfred Nzo, Cacadu and Ukhahlamba, six from OR Tambo and three from Nelson Mandela metropolitan municipality were chosen as recipients of this financial year's funding of women cooperatives by the department.

A glimpse of that funding was shown during Women's Day celebrations in Matatiele in the Ukhahlamba district municipality. Seven women cooperatives, one from each district, were handed their dummy cheques of R500 000 by Eastern Cape Premier, Ms Noxolo Kiviet, accompanied by the department's MEC, Ms. Nonkosi Mvana. A total of 106 people have benefited from the R20 million, while 202 have benefited from the funding of R5 million.