20 Feb 2017

The acting permanent secretary in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Ms Nelly Senegelo has applauded Edcon Group for finding it vital to offer training to textile manufacturers and suppliers.

Speaking during the Edcon suppliers’ development workshop in Gaborone, Ms Senegelo said the training would help attendants attain lifelong skills that would make a positive impact on their businesses. “I need not emphasise the importance of a forum of this nature as it provides a platform for stakeholders to exchange information, share experiences and learn from each other,” she said.

Ms Senegelo said the training was the first of its kind where suppliers and manufacturers were given guidelines on what was expected from them.

“Our expectation is for Edcon to demonstrate how they will empower Batswana, through sourcing of local products as a way of driving Citizen Economic Empowerment,” she added.

For her part, general manager of Edcon Group Quality, Ms Noel Paulson said through the workshop, they wanted to help uplift the local market and have a sense of what it takes to move from being a local market supplier to being a regional supplier.

Ms Paulson encouraged suppliers to collaborate in order to penetrate the regional market.

Edcon is a retail company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, which has been in operation for more than 80 years and have expanded to include over 1 400 stores among them Edgars, Jet, Legit, Boardman’s and Red Square.

So far, she said, they have two suppliers in Botswana, Nortex Botswana and B&M Garments and they are looking at working with more Botswana suppliers and manufacturing companies. BOPA