28 Aug 2023

De Beers Global SightholderSales (DBGSS) and Ministry of Entrepreneurship (MoE) facilitated an insights workshop on opportunities and solutions to strengthen the entrepreneurship landscape of Botswana to inculcate the entrepreneurial mind set.

The Director of Strategy and Special Projects in the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, Mr Ronnie Phuthego said on Wednesday that the ministry’s strategic approach, underscoring the significance of its six core departments of Wealth Creation, Value Chain, Start Up, Cooperative, Cluster Chain Development and the Youth Development Fund.

Mr Phuthego said those departments were poised to serve as the cornerstones of entrepreneurial development, nurturing talents and fostering innovation.

He said the ministry’s mandate centered on provision of leadership and overall policy direction, strategy and standards on business development in the country.

“The ministry’s portfolio responsibilities encompass a number of areas, including enterprise development and coordination, small business development policy, wealth creation, citizen economic empowerment, coordination of value chains and women economic empowerment,” he said.

Meanwhile, Stanford Seed Program Coordinator, Ms Changu Siwawa, said the aim of the entrepreneurship insights workshop was for the ministry to gain invaluable views from entrepreneurs.

Ms Siwawa said this was to provide meaningful inputs to the ministry’s entrepreneurship policy which was currently under review.

At the heart of all deliverables, Ms Siwawa said, the endeavor held the promise of igniting a new era of entrepreneurship in the country, thereby laying the foundation for sustainable development.

The De Beers Group Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs, Ms Otsile Mabeo, said entrepreneurs were the backbone and catalyst to transform the economy into a knowledge and export-led economy, underpinning Vision of 2030, of creating wealth for all.Ms Mabeo said partnership between De Beers and Ministry of Entrepreneurship, was a beacon of local empowerment and signified shared dedication to

Building Forever; a visionary concept that seamlessly aligns with Botswana’s aspirations for a knowledge-based and export-driven economy.

Recognizing entrepreneurs as the driving force behind these ambitions, Ms Mabeo said, the occasion was a necessary step towards ensuring relevant frameworks for the empowerment of the entrepreneurial community.

She said the collaborative spirit exhibited by De Beers and the Ministry of Entrepreneurship, combined with the determination of the country’s entrepreneurs was a harbinger of a brighter future.

“With the design thinking model as a guiding light, challenges metamorphose into opportunities and ideas evolve into solutions.

This holistic approach to fostering entrepreneurship ensures that Botswana remains at the forefront of innovation and progress,” she said.In partnership, the two entities have not only ignited the spark of possibility but also set the stage for a transformational journey.

From insights to action, from challenges to solutions, the road ahead holds the promise of a dynamic, prosperous Botswana driven by the ingenuity and resilience of its entrepreneurial community.

The workshop, held in Gaborone, hosted beneficiaries from Stanford Seed, Tokafala, Go-to-Market and Local Enterprise Authority (LEA). ENDS