11 Jun 2017

Junior Achievement Botswana (JAB) in partnership with Ministry of Basic Education brought together young achievers from junior and senior schools as well as technical and/or brigades in Lobatse over the weekend.

Southern Regional business expo brought together business aspirants from South East, Kweneng, Kanye, Ghanzi, Kgalagadi, Goodhope, Moshupa and Jwaneng education regions to showcase what they learnt from the JAB company programme through presentation of business plans, company reports, stall exhibitions, innovation and oral presentations.

In an interview, JAB programmes manager, Mr Tiboke Mhlambi, noted that in their quest to empower young Batswana to succeed in the world of work through a dynamic entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy education they also cultivate and instill a spirit of free enterprise and self reliance.

Mr Mhlambi indicated that they did so by partnering with volunteers, who were experts in their various business fields; whom he said they engaged them in judging and mentoring young entrepreneurs to improve their entrepreneurial skills.

JAB office manager, Ms Banyana Mannaesi said they ran a hands on programme in which they involved outside professionals to assess and monitor the organisation’s progress.

She also said it also gave them an idea of whether students had acquired necessary skills needed for them to establish their companies.

She said teachers could only give students theory; therefore the mentorship programme assisted the students a great deal, especially when they go for further expos.

The JAB Southern Region business expo attracted 43 companies; 12 junior categories and 31 senior categories with seven themes for each category.

Mr Mhlambi indicated that competitors  at this expose were winners from the sub-regional expo, which was held in Kanye last year, adding that the winners were from the top three companies from the seven themes.

He said the companies reached the cut-off point of 60 and above to be winners.

He further indicated that from the regionals they would take 42 companies to compete at the National Best Business Expo in Gaborone next month.

Mr Mhlambi explained that although they needed 42 companies to go for nationals, the cut-off point was the criteria used to select winners.

He noted that to reach the nationals, a company needed at least 60 points.

Mr Mhlambi said it was at the nationals that they would select position ones from each theme, which would then proceed to Junior Achievement Africa qualifiers; where the best team would be selected to represent the country at the Junior Achievement Africa Company of the Year competitions.

Ms Mannaesi noted that Botswana had been fairing well at these competitions in the past, expressing confidence that they would continue to do well.

She said last year they got position one in Harare for Customer Service theme award won by Naledi Senoir Secondary School students.

In 2015, she said they took two companies to Gabon from Thamaga (Sekgele Junior Secondary School) and Madiba Senior Secondary School in Mahalapye; and they took position two and three respectively.

She said Botswana had also participated at the Europe Trade Fair with Bokamoso Junior Secondary School winning first price under Best Marketing category.

The companies are judged on business plans, company reports, display and oral presentations.

The themes are Environment, Wildlife, and Tourism; Consultancy Services (Education, Training, Finance, Investment, Advisory, media, among others); Design, Technology and Infrastructure; Arts and Culture; Manufacturing; Agribusiness as well as Wellness and Recreation. ENDS