13 Jul 2023

Over 70 Small Medium Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) in Serowe joined the rest of the country for a live viewing of the US-Africa Business Summit opening ceremony, July 13.

Serowe District deputy council secretary, Mr Mogomotsi Kokoro said organised the platform for the SMMEs because they wanted them to have a feel of the momentous occasion, which he described as the first of its kind.

“The feel is meant to energise you as business people,” he noted, challenging SMME owners to fantasise seeing themselves penetrating international markets.

Ms Seanokeng Rapontsho, a hawker specialising in selling bales of second hand clothes said she was grateful to be part of the historic moment from which she learnt that patience and running a business were intertwined.

Ms Pretty Tsheboeng of Pretollar Holdings, a company that manufactures cleaning chemicals, said she expected to learn more about the manufacturing sector and was glad that a speakers from Barloworld spoke at length about the need to train people, especially those who operate machines.

Ms Tsheboeng said she was encouraged to continue her dream of venturing into manufacturing clinical materials such as toilet paper, syringes and swabs and appealed to Botswana Medicines Regulatory Authority (BOMRA) to relax requirements for businesses venturing into clinical equipment.

Another attendee, Ms One Moagi of Freshpoint Investments, a milling and packaging company said she was grateful for the opportunity to learn from the several key players of different industries how they handled their businesses.

She said the summit challenged her to broaden her horizon and increase the company’s footprint though with caution.

Owner of Black Small Business Agency, a cleaning company, Mr Ofentse Seleke thanked President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi for bringing world leaders and key players to Botswana, to enhance learning and making Batswana aware of the value of their products.

He said the summit was an eye opener.

Serowe West councillor, Mr Goabamong Sethaba said the summit showed a roadmap of where Africa was headed.

President Masisi delivered the keynote address and there were panel discussions by mining, finance, health and technology presenters based on the theme: Enhancing Africa’s Value in Global Value Chains. ENDS