11 Apr 2019

Assistant Minister of Investment Trade and Industry, Mr Moiseraele Goya has commended Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development (MYSC) for collaborating with Botswana International University of Science and Technology (BIUST) to empower youth in Palapye on how to do business.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony at BIUST where 40 Youth Development Fund (YDF) beneficiaries from Palapye graduated from the ‘Sustaining Your Business’ six-week course offered by BIUST and funded by MYSC, Mr Goya thanked the two institutions for empowering youth in Palapye and the Central District with business skills.

He said he believed that the six-week long course taught graduates the best practices of running a successful business and sharpened their skills on how to run their projects profitably.

“I am informed that the course included aspects such as book-keeping or record keeping, how to market and sell your products and other management skills,” he said.

He encouraged beneficiaries to take their businesses seriously, noting that business required hard work, discipline, sacrifice, resilience, bravery, innovative minds and self-confidence.

Mr Goya said if the youth businesses remained sustainable, they would in their small way help in alleviating unemployment.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, he said, has prioritised job creation, adding that all should contribute towards achieving the vision.

“My Ministry is mandated to find ways and opportunities of luring investors both locally and internationally to set up businesses that can absorb unemployed youth and others currently not employed,” he said.

He encouraged youth funded through YDF to take their businesses seriously. 

He said businesses needed discipline and accountability in order for them to grow and be sustainable.

Meanwhile, BIUST deputy vice chancellor, Professor Dennis Siginer said the university was honoured to have provided training on entrepreneurship to youth of Palapye.

He explained that BIUST offered scientific, engineering and other related courses. 

He said Science was very important in that it played a major role in the development of any society. 

He said the institution also offered short courses such as the Sustaining Your Business and other courses to empower locals.

He congratulated those who graduated from business course, noting that they had the relevant entrepreneurship skills to help them sustain their businesses.

For her part, Centre for Business Management, Entrepreneurship and General Education at BIUST Professor Patricia Makepe said her department developed the course three years ago after realising that there was need to address challenges experienced by small businesses in Botswana.

She said most youth businesses were funded through the YDF and there was a need to equip them with necessary business skills and knowledge. 

“We want business projects to be initiated and be sustainable,” she said, adding that the course proved to be the right tool to equip the beneficiaries with skills.

She said through the course the youth were encouraged to be creative, pursue value stalking for opportunities, come up with a business plans, acquire management skills, record keeping, quality control and business ethics, among other skills. ENDS