02 Dec 2018

Young entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs in Ramotswa were recently schooled on entrepreneurship skills.

The event, organised by the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, had presenters from organisation such as LEA, CIPA, CEDA, Department of Industrial Affairs and Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development.

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry principal programme officer, Ms Lebogang Mokgatlhe said the youth make the bulk of the population and were the country’s future hence the ministry wanted to have more young people utilising existing business opportunities to create employment for themselves and others.She stated that providing young people with entrepreneurship skills positioned them better to take advantage of existing opportunities.

“As a ministry we are trying our best to have a conducive environment for young people to go into business,” Ms Mokgatlhe stated.

She highlighted the reservation policy for youth owned companies in micro procurement tenders, reservation in maintenance of government buildings and price preference in open tenders.

She said it should be an encouragement for young people and also urged them to take note of the quality of service they provided or the product they offerred.

Botswana National Youth Council board chairperson, Mr Kitso Masi said young people were the greatest resource the country had, adding that their zeal to succeed could take the country to greater heights.

Mr Masi stated that investing on them could be a way of taking the country towards industrialisation.

However, he noted that empowerment of young people was a process and that training would ensure that there was knowledge transfer.

“We are fortunate to be coming from this country, as our young people are given so much leverage to advance their lives,’’ he said.

He added that government continued to come up with policies geared towards improving the lives of the youth.Mr Masi also told young entrepreneurs that integrity was the core part of business and that they must do their business legally.

Balete deputy chief, Kgosi Tsimane Mokgosi said it was important that such training produced results and that performance was tracked to ensure impact.

Kgosi Mokgosi said the main aim of such training was to see the country’s industry and trade growing hence the need for results.

He told young people that they had the chance to address the challenge of unemployment.ENDS