01 Nov 2020

Members of Ntlo ya Dikgosi have adopted a motion calling for the establishment of factory shells to assist youth businesses with places of operation and affordable rentals.  

Responding on behalf of the Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, the Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake said in order to respond to the peculiar challenges faced by the youth, government, through its agencies, had over the years put in place policies, national action plan, schemes, grants, up-skilling programmes and business start-up support for the youth.

She indicated that the interventions included subsidised rentals of factory shells and provision of incubation services, IP protection registration support, product testing and certification, digital financial management system and tools, human resource policy development and market access linkages.

Ms Manake highlighted that during 2019/2020, the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Empowerment, Sport and Culture Development assisted 1 812 youth to develop business plans for funding with various financiers and 306 were funded to the tune of P32 768 337.

LEA, she said, also provided subsidised leasing of its factory shells; which included Pilane multipurpose incubator, Francistown industrial business incubator, leather industries incubator situated in Gaborone West industrial site, Maun and Ramotswa LEA factory shells, Ghanzi small stock incubators as well as horticulture farms in Dikabeya and  Glen Valley irrigation scheme.

She explained that the factory shells housed a lot of different projects, creating a good number of job opportunities.

Ms Manake cited the Maun and Ramotswa LEA factory shells, which operated 14 units, eight in Maun and six in Ramotswa, adding that more than 76 youth enterprises had been provided with operational space and had created 321 jobs.

She indicated that LEA had also availed three green houses and six tunnels to be leased out to deserving youth to start vegetable production.

Ms Manake said horticulture graduates from LEA Glen valley horticulture incubator had been allocated farming land in Radihemelo, adding that they were operational.

She pointed out that LEA was collaborating with First National Bank to establish a co-working space for youth innovators to develop and commercialise their technology ideas and prototypes.

Ms Manake assured Ntlo ya Dikgosi that LEA would continue during the next financial year to establish more factory shells in various regions, adding that LEA was in the process of renovating properties in Kanye, Pilane and Good Hope to assist SMMEs to participate in manufacturing and agro-processing sectors.

The motion was tabled by specially elected member, Kgosi Oatleng Setlhodi. ENDS