13 Oct 2014

A 33-year-old Ms Keneilwe Maleho is a single mother of two and hails from Moroka in North East District.

As one of the beneficiaries of the Youth Development Fund (YDF), Ms Maleho is engaged in the business of chalk production through her company, Kems Chalk Making. 

“I was funded by the Department of Youth in the year 2011, but my business started operating on the April 1 this year. They gave P93 606 of which half of it is a grant and half is a loan payable in five years,” she said.

She noted that even though her business started operating in April, she had not yet hired anyone because her trading licence had expired. Ms Maleho said customers kept coming for chalks but she could not sell until her license was renewed.

She said it was not easy for her to renew it because government wanted her to have a commercial plot where the company would be based. She said she saw the idea of chalk production on television in the streets of Kenya, where a young lady was engaged in such business and she found it unique and interesting to engage in.

“So far I am the only Motswana youth engaged in such a business idea,” added Ms Maleho. Ms Maleho also stated that she met a Zimbabwean teacher at TKM School who gave her a lot of information about chalk production.

“I believe the art of working with your own hands in the business industry brings income quickly, and chalk production has a high market in our county,” said Ms Maleho.

She said the machine she uses to mould chalk produces a minimum of 500 sticks within five minutes and a single package contains 100 sticks.  Materials needed for chalk production is all over and is sold locally in Indian shops and the only import is the package box, which she imports from Zimbabwe.

Ms Maleho said that a box of chalk containing 100 sticks is sold for P6, and so far she has 14 400 boxes ready to be sold when she gets her trading licence renewed.

She urged fellow youth to visit the nearest youth offices and request for the start-up capital so that they could start their own businesses and create employment for others. ENDS