14 Jul 2016

A young, enterprising Motswana woman is making headway in the catering business, in the process becoming a role model for other beneficiaries of the government's poverty eradication programme.

Ms Oarabile Macheke, a 31-year-old lady hailing from Lerala in the Central District, based in Mogoditshane, has diversified her business portfolio since enrolling for the poverty eradication programme in 2013. 

In order to remove Batswana from the debilitating effects of poverty, as part of the government's pledge card, the poverty eradication programme was introduced and some beneficiaries, including Ms Macheke, have shown great progress.

“I own a company, Dual Catering, which started out as a catering company but is now diversifying, as I am now lending out pots, establishing a restaurant and having a tent to hire,” Ms Macheke said in an interview. 

Having completed her studies at Shoshong Senior Secondary School, Ms Macheke struggled to find employment and ended up running a micro enterprise, selling traditional foodstuffs such as magwinya, diphaphatha and serobe at the Gaborone Main Mall.

She benefited from ten pots from the poverty eradication programme in 2013, which allowed her to expand her business. 

“I have received further training from the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), the Business Place and the School of Chefs in Pretoria, South Africa, which helped me to become more business savvy,” she says. 

Ms Macheke has been able to work with clients such as Sunbeat Guest House and Skyhouse Guesthouse and credits the Kgosiemang family, which owns the Mogoditshane-based Sunbeam for mentorship. 

“They have been able to support me with ideas, and their advice has been invaluable,” she says.

From initially struggling with her business just a few years ago, Ms Macheke now employs five full time employees, and normally takes a further three part time employees for bigger catering tasks.

Ms Macheke encourages others to take advantage of government policies geared at employment creation and taking Batswana out of poverty. 

“It is also very important to be committed to whatever it is you want to achieve, you need to be bold and work hard on using whatever little you have been given to expand your business and make it sustainable,” Ms Macheke said.ENDS