Deaf Empowerment Firm
Social Enterprise empowering the deaf, based in Soweto, Johannesburg.
The Deaf Empowerment Firm (DEF) is a social enterprise established in 2015 to empower deaf people in South Africa. At DEF, they connect deaf people with empowerment opportunities that will empower them to live self-sustainable lives.
Their services include:
- Connecting employers to deaf jobseekers.
- Connecting Deaf entrepreneurs to enterprise development opportunities.
- Connecting Deaf youth to skills development opportunities.
The DEF team takes a holistic approach to the empowerment of Deaf people: getting to know each candidate individually and finding opportunities that are a fit for them as individuals. They put their candidates through relevant skills and work readiness programmes to ensure that they gain the necessary qualifications before placing them for work opportunities.
Their founder and Managing Director, Sikelelwa Alex Msitshana, lost her hearing later in life and encountered challenges and frustrations when she tried to get employment as a deaf person. This fueled her passion to change the employment landscape for Deaf people, and this passion culminated in DEF.
