Cell C recently received a silver pixel at the 11th IAB Bookmark Awards 2019 for its CellCgirl website.

CellCgirl was developed to complement the reach of Cell C’s lauded Take a Girl Child to Work Day with the goal to extend this initiative to more than a day a year via a digital support portal.

CellCgirl is an interactive and social media platform that provides responsive online support, focusing on educational, economic and employment resources. It also includes links to bursaries and internships, and acts as a forum for advice, CV-creation and career guidance.

The website launched in September last year and has seen over 4,2-million users across all channels in under a year. With an average of over 10 000 users monthly, of which 85% are new visitors, it’s clear that CellCgirl addresses a very specific need.

“The initial response has exceeded our expectations,” says Cell C managing executive: CSI, Suzette van der Merwe. “And the site is zero-rated for Cell C customers. We want to make this holistic support system as accessible as possible.”

The overarching goal behind CellCgirl is to support young adults as they start considering their future career path – whether it’s in regard to subject choices while they’re still in school, or whether they’re looking for financial support opportunities to complete their studies, or simply looking for advice.

CellCgirl has recently updated their website to include a section focusing specifically on careers and entrepreneurship. According to StatsSA, the South African labour market is more favourable to men than it is to women. Men are also more likely to be in paid employment than women, regardless of race.

Although South Africa has made great strides, gender representation is still below the 50% mark for positions that come with a great deal of influence. The purpose of the platform is to empower young women to make informed decisions about their future and motivate them to remain passionate about pursuing a career or even starting their own business.

Data collected from the website indicates the majority of visitors to the website are female (78%) and that 61% reside in Gauteng followed by Kwa Zulu Natal (16%), Western Cape (16%) and Eastern Cape (3%). Results show that 35% of visitors are under the age of 24 and that 43% are between the ages of 25-34. These statistics are encouraging as it clearly shows young women find the resource helpful right from school all the way through even as they’re building their careers.

It’s notable that 84% are accessing the CellCgirl website through their mobile devices.

The CellCgirl website is supported by social media channels that are also growing steadily. To date, CellCgirl has 5 653 registered users, has received 486 Ask CellCgirl questions, facilitated 912 career interests tests, and helped create over 2 000 CVs.