Johannesburg has been ranked as one of 25 global cities with the ability to attract and support female entrepreneurs, says Dell's Women Entrepreneur Cities Index.
The South African city came in at number 23 and was the only African city to make it onto the list. The top placed cities included New York at number one, followed by the San Francisco Bay area, London, Stockholm, Singapore, Toronto and Washington DC.
Each city was ranked according to five characteristics: capital, technology, talent, culture and market.
The index says access to capital is a particularly large challenge for women entrepreneurs in Johannesburg, Munich, Istanbul, Sao Paulo and Milan.
Also, improving technology (including Internet connectivity and policies enabling greater use of technology by women) in Istanbul, Johannesburg, Milan and Jakarta would help support and attract high-potential women entrepreneurs.
The index is intended to provide insights for cities on how to improve conditions for women entrepreneurs to thrive.
According to the 2016 Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Research Symposium, under-representation of women in business today creates missed opportunities - not only from a social standpoint but from an economic angle as well.
A key goal is to turn high-potential women entrepreneurs into high-growth women entrepreneurs - currently men-owned businesses are 3.5 times more likely to break the $1 million mark, says Dell.
"With more resources and attention, the world could see many more women-led businesses breaking the $1 million barrier, thereby creating more economic prosperity and jobs, with a knock-on effect in improving health and education conditions within their communities, given that women typically reinvest more of their wealth back into their communities," adds Dell.
"Innovation and job creation by women entrepreneurs is critical for a thriving global economy, yet our research shows some cities and countries are doing far more than others to encourage and support this important subset of the start-up community," says Karen Quintos, senior vice-president and chief marketing officer at Dell.
"Our index provides insights to move the conversation with policymakers and city leaders from awareness to action and, in turn, to empower women entrepreneurs to have the greatest economic impact on the world."
Infrastructure, technology and education are creating a steep divide between those who can succeed in today's economy and those who cannot, says DWEN.
Entrepreneurs, organisations and nations that have plentiful resources are able to move forward to become more connected, informed and secure because they can leverage technology to its fullest potential, it notes.
However, those without access to infrastructure, education, technology and a secure environment continue to fall farther and farther behind, adds DWEN.
Elizabeth Gore, entrepreneur-in-residence for Dell, says women entrepreneurs will drive economic growth for countries.
"It's time for women to be politically engaged to ensure the right ecosystems are in place for them to scale. If politicians and entrepreneurs partner, dynamic policies can be put in place to close the circle and enhance the process from idea to enterprise."
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