Understanding gender dimensions in climate information awareness and uptake by entrepreneurs in South Africa

While it is generally well understood that climate change poses significant risks to economic stability and well-being, the gendered dimensions of its effects is still a nuanced area of research, especially in developing regions. Considering research within the African context, for example, women's businesses make wide-ranging contributions to family welfare, key value chains, and the provision of goods and services that support adaptation to climate change, yet they face a "triple differential vulnerability" due to heightened exposure to climate risks, frontline management of these risks, and barriers such as limited access to land and finance.

Noting these differential impacts, improved access to and use of credible climate information can be crucial for adaptation and disaster risk reduction efforts. However, it is imperative to better understand if and to what extent there may be differences in gender dynamics in climate information awareness and uptake. This study explores this knowledge gap through an analysis of 200 survey responses as well as follow-up semi-structured interviews by women and men entrepreneurs in South Africa (conducted November 2024-February 2025). We focus on understanding how climate events have affected businesses, the extent of climate information use to navigate adaptation and business decision-making, as well as barrier and enabling factors that may shape gender differences in the ability to interpret and use climate information. Such findings can underscore potential gendered differences in the understanding of and subsequent demand for climate information, which can in turn assist in closing knowledge gaps on gender equity in the access to and use of climate services. This study also includes a review of the status of gender mainstreaming in climate information production and dissemination, and, through collaborations with other regional partners and research projects, aims to scale findings to produce tailored insights for climate service designers across eastern and southern Africa towards the encouragement of broad capacity development and strengthening.