14 Aug 2018

Some beneficiaries of CEDA’s Mabogo-dinku, have hailed the facility for taking them a step ahead in their businesses.

Mabogo-Dinku offers short-term loans from P500  to P150 000 payable in 3-12 months to citizen micro-entrepreneurs to assist in the growth of their business.

To benefit, an entrepreneur should belong to a group of between five and 15 and agree to sign a standard constitution.

In a recent media tour of various CEDA-funded businesses in the Serowe-Palapye region, businesspersons expressed heartfelt gratitude for the loan facility, which they hailed as having drastically improved their businesses.

The business owners said they felt relieved from the difficulties they faced prior to securing Mabogo-dinku loans.

Among a plethora of challenges was startup capital, while others struggled with expansion.

However, the beneficiaries say they have put their worries behind them with much of their energies channeled towards growing their businesses.

Ms Tumelano Monamodi (45) of Serowe, trading at the Serowe Central Business District, who said she approached CEDA offices in Palapye seeking a loan that could aid her towards realising her business expansion, spoke highly of Mabogo-dinku.

Ms Monamodi, who is into sales of apparels, said she struggled with purchasing enough to satisfy her clientele.

“I told a CEDA officer that I was a passionate businessperson who has been in business for about 10 years, without concrete results,” she says, and adds that she needed some funds to purchase enough stock.

Not only did she receive funds to expand her business, she also went through training for running a business to enable her to service her P10 000 loan.

Demonstrating how she conducts her business, the micro-business owner emphasises superior customer service as her competitive edge.

In fact, she claims that her customers always come back for more because of the service she renders on a daily basis, buoyed by her passion for the sales business.

She says sometimes she calls her customers to alert them of the new stock that has arrived or even calls to check if they were enjoying the goods.

Ms Monamodi concedes challenges of selling clothes and other apparels, but quickly rebuffs them saying good customer care and top presentation would always push one to prevail amidst competition.

However, she still relies on word of mouth to lure customers to her stall situated in front of CB stores.

Another Mabogo-dinku beneficiary, Mr Ontathile Malatelele, outspoken hawker who had up to then been struggling, says that the loan facility was akin to realisation of dreams.

Mr Malatelele said as micro-business owners had been agitating for better treatment and recognition, one of them introduced CEDA officer Oesi Segwabe who delivered to them what Mr Malatelele termed ‘the greatest news.’

He said that following guidelines and recommendations, they formed a group of five, elected a committee and met with CEDA officers whereupon the relevant procedures were put into place before each of them could benefit.

Having been loaned P7 000 for purchasing jewelry stock, Mr Malatelele says he deposits P50 every week to service his loan.

Trading in front of food outlet Bimbo’s in Palapye, the small business owner credits Mabogo-dinku as a facility meant to empower Motswana.

“There is so much improvement in my business such that I can’t shy away from recommending Mabogo-dinku to other small businesses,” said Mr Malatelele, who found the loan easier to acquire for those already in business.

However, he sounds a caution against misappropriating the loan for other personal interests, saying it would be a dishonest practice that could affect future applicants. 

In his daily routine, the customer-centric Mr Malatelele has come to classify customers into three categories of a mere passer-by, one that did not get the service they sought elsewhere and the other that comes because they learnt about the services.

With Mabogo-dinku, he is of firm conviction that the number of poverty-stricken Batswana would decrease at an encouraging rate and therefore recommends the facility wholeheartedly. ENDS