19 Sep 2016

Women must fight against all odds if they are to overcome the current wave of competitive entrepreneurship that has the potential to dispirit them.

The Member of Parliament for Maun West Mr Tawana Moremi said during the official opening of a two-day African Women’s Entrepreneurship Program (AWEP) training in Maun that women were naturally entrepreneurs.

He said in the past, Batswana women successfully remained as custodians of their families when their husbands worked elsewhere because they were enterprising.

“Batswana women are therefore not new to entrepreneurship because in the past, they did it informally although it lacked the desired profitability,” he said, adding that some women were emerging as successful entrepreneurs across the country, which is a positive development.

Supported by USAID, AWEP grills women on businesses and the possibility of participating in the international market especially in the USA through the African Growth Opportunity Act (AGOA).

AWEB’s local chairperson Ms Chigedze Chinyepi noted that the programme was formed after the realization that women lacked participation in AGOA.

AGOA allows duty free goods from African countries to the USA, and so far 34 countries including Botswana are eligible, she said.

Ms Chinyepi said AWEP strived to mentor women to be competitive in both the local and international markets, as well as for them to be able to export their goods.

AGOA, she said offered the exportation of about 6000 goods, and that Botswana, through the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, had identified five areas of trade in chemical products, manufacturing, agro business, tourism and apparel.

Ms Chinyepi said the AWEP’s local chapter therefore grilled the women entrepreneurship to benefit from the endeavor, available government initiatives, and continental and international markets such as the European Union and African Union markets.

In an interview, Ms Chinyepi said although women received funding from government initiatives such as Gender Affairs, some of their businesses failed due to lack of sustainability strategies and of branding and market strategies.

She said lack of knowledge on bilateral relations which promotes regional and international markets were some of the challenges facing them.

Ms Chinyepi therefore encouraged women entrepreneurs to leave behind consumption mentality and plan their businesses for growth. ENDS