31 Jul 2019

Social and Community Development committee chairperson, Mr Simon Ramaphoi has applauded the Kanye Administrative Authority (KAA) for inviting young entrepreneurs and exhibitors to showcase their products.

Speaking during the Kanye market day and mini-show held under the theme: Empowering local small businesses through market provision, he said the public should support local businesses to improve Botswana’s economic stability.

He explained that government offered poverty eradication and home economics programmes to the less privileged as a way of eradicating poverty, and said through such programmes they could open small businesses and employ others.

“The government is trying to build a more inclusive and knowledge-based economy by educating citizens to become business wise,” he said.

He further noted that those who were assisted by government were offered business management training. Mr Ramaphoi explained that shortage of land was a challenge to young entrepreneurs and slowed their production processes.

 He said government has committed to implement laws and policies which allowed them to use their residential plots for business purposes to resolve issues of land shortage.

Businesses, he said, required patience and hard work for them to succeed.

He encouraged entrepreneurs to be committed to their businesses and applauded them for taking bold steps towards financial freedom by opening small businesses.

For her part, head of environmental health, Ms Letty Regonamanye explained that the event was held to provide a conducive platform for entrepreneurs to market and advertise their products as well as maximising sales to improve the economic well-being of entrepreneurs.

She encouraged exhibitors to share experiences and exchange contacts for possible collaboration. She added that by doing so, they could obtain a competitive urge to produce good quality products.

“Exhibitors who performed well will go and compete at the regional council competitions on behalf of KAA that will be held at Kgalagadi District,” she said.

For her part, poverty eradication programme beneficiary, Ms Dipogiso Makuruetsa, explained that the programme helped her to start a tailoring business in 2014.

She revealed that her business has been receiving revenue slowly, but that with patience and hard work it has improved.

She urged other entrepreneurs to learn new ideas and skills from each other. 

Ms Makuruetsa thanked social workers for the support they had been giving them and said she was happy to motivate other entrepreneurs to remain committed to their businesses for their success. Ends