15 Sep 2015

Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises (SMMEs) have been described as being pivotal to the economic growth of any country.

Speaking during the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) market day in Masunga recently, LEA branch manager, Ms Segakolodi Ntebele said it was critical that SMMEs be supported in every way possible to enable them to fully contribute to the growth of Botswana’s economy.

She said at LEA, they had realised the need to hold market days to afford businesses the opportunity to reach out to their potential customers and make them aware of the goods and services that they had on offer.

Ms Ntebele also noted that the market days also gave the business people an opportunity to network, in the process sharing ideas on what could be done to move their businesses forward.

Emphasising the importance of marketing, she said poor marketing and even a total lack of marketing was detrimental to the growth of any business.

She appealed to business people who had come to showcase their goods and services to seek assistance with organisations that could help them hone the skills necessary for running successful businesses. A beneficiary of the mentorship programme offered by LEA, Mr Musa Jele from Dukwi, expressed gratitude for the assistance that he had been afforded.

Mr Jele, who runs several businesses amongst them a filling station, a supermarket, a bakery and a farm, said it was through LEA that he has managed to stay afloat despite the several challenges that he continued to encounter in his businesses.

He appealed to fellow business owners to persevere and not give up on their dreams, further advising them to never shy away from seeking assistance as and when it becomes necessary. When welcoming guests at the start of the proceedings, Kgosi Thabo Maruje III encouraged business owners to hold on to their dreams and work hard in an effort of turning them into reality

He urged them to also set high standards of service delivery and also to produce goods of exceptional quality. Kgosi Maruje III said their aim should always be to surpass the expectations of their customers. Ends