18 Jun 2018

In an effort to create employment, residents of Mandunyane and Semotswane have partnered to form a multi-cooperative society.

Speaking to BOPA, Shamandu Multi Cooperative Society chairperson, Mr Joseph Mogwadi said they decided to start a multi-cooperative society after resolving that it was the best they could to improve their economic wellbeing.

He said the name is an incorporation of the two village names being Shashe and Mandunyane - Shamandu.

Mr Mogwadi said from their self-conducted research, they identified that in some countries, big corporations that contributed substantively to their countries’ economic growth started as cooperatives.

He said despite the lucrative prospects poised by cooperatives, it is important to acknowledge the fact that in recent times, some had  not been doing well locally, to a point that they collapsed.

While embracing the possibilities, he said they were also expecting challenges that may arise due to operating a cooperative; therefore they were compelled to forge a feasible plan to enable them to deliver their aspirations.

With 18 members, he said there were sound strategies in place to create employment for locals, adding that the first thing they considered was to form a partnership with members possessing different experiences and skills.

Mr Mogwadi said the idea was that a multi-skilled personnel would provide a chance for the cooperative to achieve great rewards.

He said they had rented a 3.6-hectare farm along Shashe River on a 20 years lease agreement, with the intention to start a horticulture project, producing for the local market, and the other project they intend to embark is investing in the construction industry.

He said the members had experiences in farming and construction, adding that there was also a group of women who were tailors.

He stated that the reason they decided to invest in farming was that the site was convenient and there was abundant water.

Secondly, Mr Mogwadi said farming was one of the biggest economic drivers in the world and people need to eat.

He outlined the importance of creating entrepreneurship and business partnership spirit among communities, noting that they were capable of diversifying the economy of the country.

Further, he said a multi-purpose cooperative had no limitations to business opportunities.

Mr Mogwadi said as the country made progress with infrastructure, it was their wish to one day get a piece in the construction industry.

He said the formation of their cooperative was never a smooth journey, but they had overcome some of the challenges they encountered.

He said one of the contributing factors was that of finances.

Start-up capital was a problem to some of the members as they self financed.

Mr Mogwadi said he was grateful for the government commitment in encouraging people to form cooperatives.

He said government should consider helping in financing such business models, or at least provide start-up capital, which he explained was the biggest deterrent for aspiring cooperative entrepreneurs. Ends