12 Jun 2023

 Medium Enterprises (SMEs) have had a negative effect of stifling the growth of potential businesses, thereby dampening the economic diversification and employment creation drive, says Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Mmusi Kgafela.

Speaking at the recent Botswana Stock Exchange (BSE) inaugural Tshipidi Investment Forum in Gaborone, Mr Kgafela noted that access to financing has traditionally been dominated by commercial banks, which are the major suppliers of credit to local households and private businesses.

“While much of the focus is on enhancing lending to SMEs, there is growing emphasis on diversifying the range of financing options available to SMEs, hence the realisation that capital markets have potential in SME financing,” he said.

Mr Kgafela observed that SMEs had a lesser likelihood of obtaining bank loans than large firms, citing that instead they relied on internal funds, or cash from friends and family, to launch and initially run their enterprises. In light of this challenge, he said avenues like the stock exchange should be considered as an alternative avenue for access to equity financing.

Moreover, the minister said one other challenge facing SMEs in Botswana was lack of corporate governance structures and principles at various levels.

According to Mr Kgafela, this entailed ensuring that all the contracts a company was party to were on commercial terms to ensure adherence to requisite corporate governance structures.

Mr Kgafela said without best business practices, Botswana’s SMEs risk failing or never growing beyond SME status due to inefficiencies in business processes, such as lack of transparency, which may prohibit investor participation  and limited execution of company strategies due to lack of oversight from governance structures.

Based on the aforementioned, Mr Kgafela said this was one of the significant concerns that led BSE to launch the Tshipidi Mentorship Programme. BSE Board member, Mr Norman Moleele, said the programme was introduced primarily to sensitise and educate the private sector on the listings value proposition and process.

Mr Moleele said the programme served as a way of grooming companies that could potentially raise capital, improve governance and leverage from the BSE as a springboard for growth.

“The objective of the programme is to provide practical training through a comprehensive and interactive programme that covers the key themes necessary to prepare and position a company to list on the BSE,” he said.

Mr Moleele said the training was offered by industry experts with regards to key elements of corporatisation, capital structure, financial reporting, commercial law, listing requirements and corporate governance.

In terms of facilitation, he said the TMP was conducted over a three months period, with each month allocated a day of facilitation. ends