Simiso Shabangu is a marketing and research practitioner. She is the first MCF-Cambridge scholar from the Kingdom of Eswatini and is going to undertake an MPhil in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge. Through her research in Ethiopia and participation in the YALI Southern Africa Program, MILEAD Fellowship and the African Women Leadership Network, she has been acquainted with the unique challenges that women face in the pursuit and implementation of development practices. Her research will investigate the barriers that deter women from accessing development finance in Eswatini and how to create systems that facilitate inclusive avenues to finance.