06 Apr 2022

The rebranded UNDP-supported ATISA (Setswana word denoting growth and expansion) supplier development programme will be a catalyst for local youth entrepreneurship growth, says National Arts Council of Botswana chairperson, Mr Thabo Dithebe.

Addressing guests during the unveiling of the new brand in Gaborone on April 6, Mr Dithebe said the programme, which groups youth  businesses and links them with potential buyers, recognised the contribution that young people were capable of making.

He said young people had the potential to provide solutions to the country’s problems hence the need for them to be supported.

“Youth can be a source of innovative solutions and have the ability to solve old problems with new technologies while adapting rapidly to ever-changing societies,” he said.

Mr Dithebe said through the programme, UNDP  had been a key and critical partner in achieving government’s mandate of creating an enabling environment for youth empowerment.

He said difficulties associated with learning opportunities and skills-building, networking, linkages to markets, access to finances, mentoring and partners were some of the challenges facing youth startup businesses.

Mr Dithebe stated that the Ministry of Youth Empowerment,  Sport and Culture Development was key in supporting the integration of local businesses into regional value chains and ensuring increased participation of women and youth in economic diversification and poverty elimination initiatives.

About the National Arts Council of Botswana, he said its mandate of developing, promoting and protecting the creative and cultural sector fitted well with UNDP’s private sector development objectives, especially the supplier development programme.

UNDP resident representative, Mr Balazs Horvath said the programme was aimed at strengthening the country’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to encourage innovation and create employment. 

“The project links suppliers and buyers in a strategic relationship that fosters enhanced productivity, competitiveness and product quality,” he said.

In particular, Mr Horvath said, it brought together buyers, suppliers and UNDP-certified consultants in a tripartite partnership.

The consultants facilitate the emergence and maintenance of an effective and growing supply chain between buyers and suppliers, he explained.

He said it  had created demand-based, market-driven opportunities for small-medium enterprises to increase their competitiveness while connecting small-scale producers to larger market participants locally as well as strengthened local products and service diversification, value chains and job creation.

 The programme, which currently has 15 buyers, over 200 suppliers and 45 local consultants, focuses on mining, energy, infrastructure, agro-processing, leather, textiles, health and the digital sector. ends