04 Aug 2019

Small and Medium Enterprise (SMEs) are pivotal to achieving Botswana’s aspirations of being a high income country by 2036,  President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has said. 

Speaking at the official opening of JB House and Distribution Centre in Gaborone August 2, President Masisi said the SME sector was critical to Botswana’s citizen economic empowerment, inclusive economic growth and poverty alleviation aims. 

“It is my desire to realise a diversified economy and one of the key drivers is through resilient SMEs,” he said.

He said several initiatives geared at promoting the ease of doing business such as the recently launched Online Business Registration System (OBRS) had been implemented in order to make it easy to register and own a business. 

In addition, he said Parliament was currently debating the revised trade and industrial development bills which were also aimed at facilitating the setting up of businesses. 

The President said government had embarked on a transformation agenda aimed at driving the diversification of the economy and making it globally competitive hence the decision to create a ministry responsible for SMEs and enterprise development. 

“We expect a significant growth in the SMEs sector hence the need to have a fully-fledged enterprise development centre across the country that will comprehensively support SMEs,” he said.

Government, the President said, would continue to strengthen institutions specifically set up to support SMEs such as Local Enterprise Authority, Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency, Companies and Intellectual Property Authority as well as the Botswana Bureau of Standards.   

Regarding JB, President Masisi said its growth from an SME to a retail giant was a good example of how SMEs could flourish.

He said it was pleasing that the company was a home-grown brand that started from humble beginnings 25 years ago.

JB managing director and founder, Mr Julian Mathew said the company started from a tiny room in Kanye, without water and electricity, after his teaching contract at Seepapitso Senior Secondary School had come to an end. “Today JB celebrates 25 years of success and the growth of a business giant that started with an investment of P10 000, as we celebrate a major milestone of opening up a magnificent facility of a total investment of P25 million,” he said.

JB currently employs close to 400 Batswana, some in senior management positions. 

It has a comprehensive portfolio of over 30 retail brands including sportswear, clothing and footwear as well as over 20 international brands in the sports and gym equipment division. 

The company has 40 branches countrywide as well as six in Namibia and plans to open more stores across the southern Africa region over the next three years. Ends