08 Jul 2020

Tokafala STRYDE has enrolled 100 participants in the mining supplier development programme.

Of the 100 participants, 47 are from Boteti and 53 from Jwaneng /Mabutsane area. 

Speaking at the official launch of the programme in Orapa on Monday, The General Manager of Orapa, Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM), Mr Bakani Motlhabani said the programme had  enrolled as many female-owned businesses as possible with 31 per cent of participants being  women. 

Tokafala STRYDE, is an enterprise development initiative by  government, Debswana, DeBeers and Anglo American aimed at helping entrepreneurs develop the business, financial management and marketing skills needed to build successful and sustainable businesses.

As a move to comply with the COVID–19 protocol of social distancing, Mr Motlhabani said the training programme for the 47 participants in Boteti would be divided in two groups. 

Mr Motlhabani said since its launch, the programme had made an impact towards developing of SMME’s saying Tokafala STRYDE programme attracted a diverse set of SMMEs from various sectors in which 54.6 per cent were female owned and 44.6 per cent were youth.

Further, Mr Motlhabani said that 130 enterprises were enrolled under the programme at Gaborone, Francistown, Maun and Letlhakane, supporting 807 jobs. He said 300 youth in Jwaneng and Boteti areas were enrolled on the Tokafala STRYDE programme and 70 per cent of the youth enrolled in the programme were women.

Mr Motlhabani observed an improvement in partnership with financing and lending institutions, such as CEDA and other government departments. 

“Debswana is committed to continue to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to Botswana and communities around their mines,” said Mr Motlhabani.

Mr Motlhabani also said the company had a Citizen Economic Empowerment Policy (CEEP), aimed at capacitating citizen companies to participate in Debswana Supply Chain. “Currently we are developing a new CEEP framework, which will focus on impact analysis of the programme,” he said.

For her part, Senior Finance Manager at OLDM, Ms Kgomotso Kereng said Debswana remained committed to socio-economic development. “The programme is a commendable effort, given that the COVID–19 pandemic has changed the operating environment of many institutions and businesses across the globe,” said Ms Kereng. 

To the participants, Ms Kereng encouraged them to make use of the programme and learn as much as they can, keeping in mind how to adopt to the changing industry trends due to COVID–19. 

Meanwhile, Tokafala STRYDE Program Director, Ms Montle Phuthego said the Tokafala supplier development initiative would take 10 months and would include four months of entrepreneurship training, followed by six months of aftercare support. 

“The training will empower participants towards building strong businesses,” said Ms Phuthego.  She said the overall objective of the programme was to help strengthen their capabilities and skills to become strong suppliers of not only Debswana but a variety of large businesses in the country.  Ends