03 Jul 2022

Youth aspiring to venture into business have been advised not to allow their family backgrounds to discourage them.

They were advised to step up and stop at nothing especially that unemployment was rife.  

Business man, Mr Tshepang Mabaila, said this at a Business Roundtable Serowe seminar recently.   

He applauded organisers for the seminar  that came at the right time saying  empowering the youth could result in them starting businesses and creating employment for others.   

He said young people should do away with the mentality of looking down on themselves stemming from issues such as cultural and family background.

“I can tell you that so many of us who are making it are not from wealthy families, we just come from humble beginnings’’ Mr Mabaila stated.

He encouraged youth to embrace President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s Reset Agenda which advocated inclusion.

Mr Mabaila, who holds a Bachelor of honors in counselling and currently pursuing an LLB with the University of Botswana, saif for one to be successful, they should go through some struggles at some point. Mr Mabaila, who is running Mabaila Foundation, Mabaila counselling services, Emirates Security and Mabaila foundation football club , said all his businesses were doing well.

“What is important is to network, get those numbers, find out how somebody else has made it,” he stressed.

He implored participants to adopt a spider strategy in which it spinned its web, which it useds to paralyze its prey and use legs to jump on it. 

He encouraged them to thread where angels fear by knocking on every door at their disposal without any fear and he went on to say no one should be denied assistance especially from the government offices with the pretense that the system was down.

He encouraged the youth to strive to contribute towards the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

A 33-year-old brick layer, Mr Philemon Bapedi, from Mabeleapodi said he was delighted to have participated in the seminar.He thanked organisers for inviting high caliber guests to equip the youth with entrepreneurial skills, leadership skills and relevant information about doing business.

 “I am glad to have been in the company of successful young people such as Mr Mabaila and Ms Motamma Horatius whose journey in business and leadership is inspiring,’’ he added.

For her part, 25-year-old aspiring business woman from Serowe, Ms Oabona Matlhokgotshe, said seminars such as this one were eye openers because they helped budding entrepreneurs to know how to go about it and who to approach.

Ms Matlhokgotshe said it was motivating to learn from the best game players.  ENDS