20 Mar 2024

Selebi-Phikwe community kicked off this week with a capacity-building workshop on cooperative development and value-chain sensitisation as a build-up to the Pusha Bw Expo billed for Sam Sono Stadium on Wednesday.

The workshop, organised by the Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry, Ms Beauty Manake, aimed at sensitising all those interested in forming cooperatives on the economic opportunities available in the SPEDU region and where to get funding and mentorship.

 Ms Manake, who officiated at the workshop held at Hotel Selebi on Monday, said it was important for the community of Selebi-Phikwe to know the opportunities available in their area and also know the organisations established by the government to assist them to set up businesses, particularly cooperatives.

She said the role of the cooperative societies was to serve as a vehicle to generate income for their members as well as taking services to local communities, especially in remote and rural areas, and hence urged the community to come together and form cooperatives.

She informed them that there were state owned entities such as SPEDU which were ready to assist them explore value-chains in the SPEDU region eco-system.

She explained that SPEDU was a company wholly owned by the government, set up to facilitate projects in the manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure and tourism sectors. 

She encouraged the community to visit SPEDU offices more often to learn about various business opportunities at their disposal.

Ms Manake informed the community that, among other things, SPEDU facilitated access to industrial and commercial land allocation, adding that 68 hectares of land had been reserved for civic projects.

She urged the community to take advantage of those opportunities to venture into business and improve their livelihood. 

She informed them that Mmadinare Cooperative managed to lease out its land to Selebi-Phikwe Citrus through assistance from SPEDU.

“These things are possible and it is upon you to make use of these services availed to you. 

Do not dismiss everything because you are denying yourselves opportunities,” she said.

She said financiers such as Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) were ready to fund cooperatives.

The Deputy Mayor of Selebi-Phikwe, Mr Molefhe Molatlhegi, stated that the government alone could not afford to create employment for everybody, hence the need for the community to create employment for themselves.

He said state owned entities such as SPEDU, CEDA, and Local Enterprise Authority (LEA) were established to assist Batswana to venture into business. ENDS