26 Sep 2022

ABSA Bank Botswana, in partnership with Global Communities, has launched Built4Biz Entrepreneurial Programme.

Giving an overview of the programme at its launch in Mahalapye Friday, CIB South Africa citizenship manager, Ms Bongile Mabena, said  Built4Biz was meant to empower young women who had worked with ABSA.

“Our main objective is to empower women who have the heart, soul and passion and are not fearful of going into businesses, because it is not an easy thing. So, we are here to remind you of all those necessary things you need to remember when you put that business plan together,” she said.

“The most important agenda that we are pushing is the narrative around women. It is important and it is about time we start taking care of our women by empowering them with all necessary skills they want and to put them in great positions,” she added.

Ms Mabena encouraged the 50 Built4Biz beneficiaries to take the business training seriously, adding at the end of the six months training and mentorship, ABSA would offer each one of them seed money to start or grow their businesses.

She also acknowledged and encouraged business community that graced the launch to also help support young women to do well in their businesses.

For her part, Global Communities representative, Ms Nothando Tumelo said her organisation was proud of the foot prints it had left in partnership with ABSA when it came to empowering young people and women across communities.

“Our journey began with our programme called: Women Empowered in which we partnered with ABSA. At that time, Global Communities was PCI and ABSA was Barclay’s Bank.

The programme was for savings and loans groups for women who are care givers to orphans and vulnerable children in communities,” she said.

Therefore, she encouraged beneficiaries to be determined and committed to their businesses.

“This is not time to give up, because the rewards are great if you stick around,” she added.

ABSA Bank Botswana head of corporate and investment banking, Ms Tebogo Giddie said the programme was a platform to bring about change and make a difference in the lives of young women who were working hard to support their families by nurturing the entrepreneurship skills they needed to move their businesses forward.

Ms Giddie encouraged beneficiaries to keep giving ABSA Bank feedback on areas they wanted assistance or improvement in, stressing that it was only through determination and perseverance that they would make it.

Explaining why Mahalapye was chosen to host the launch, she said Mahalapye was central in what ABSA wanted to do, hence the area was chosen to host the launch.

“When we identified places that we wanted to go to, it was not a mistake that we chose Mahalapye,” she added.

Mahalapye North councillor, Ms Pearl Miranda, commended ABSA and Global Communities for launching the entrepreneurial programme, saying it was in Iine with government’s objective of developing entrepreneurship, creating sustainable employment and reducing poverty.

She also encouraged young women to take the training seriously for the programme to work for them.ENDS