18 Aug 2024

Young people are a significant lot with an important role to play in shaping the future of Botswana.

This is a demographic group with the energy and creativity that could turn the country’s economic tide. It is for this reason that government has engineered various platforms, services, and products to support their development.

Such include skills training programmes, mentorship opportunities, career guidance services, recreational and leisure services, financial awareness and access to funding for small business ventures.

Others include health facilities offering reproductive health education and services tailor made for young people’s needs.

These initiatives are designed to equip young Batswana with the necessary tools and resources to succeed in today’s competitive world.

Efforts to build business acumen amongst young people are continuing to bear fruit across the country, according to Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture, principal programmes officer, Mr Benjamin Rankosha.

He said the ministry had over the years provided business support to youth businesses through Local Enterprise Authority and business consultants, to improve sustainability and growth of youth businesses.

“Several partnerships have been entered into for upskilling youth business start-ups and those already operating,” said Mr Rankosha.

He credited the Youth Development Fund (YDF) for its positive effect in empowering youth entrepreneurs and creating employment for young people, to cushion them against poverty.

 “This is evidently reflected in the third Edition of the YDF masterlist, 2021-2022, where 8 972 males and 5 857 females were employed by YDF beneficiaries, a development that has brought changes in their socio-economic status,” said Mr Rankosha.

Mr Rankosha said during the verification exercise of the Top 100 YDF selected successful businesses, it came to light that the programme had been impactful in the lives of beneficiaries as evidenced by majority of businesses that were sustainable beyond grace period and completed servicing the loan.

Among the Top 100 YDF successful businesses, those who indicated annual profit making of P50 000 and above accounted for 52 per cent, Mr Rankosha said, also stating that 59 per cent managed to diversify their businesses and acquired major assets such as property, machinery and other equipment through the fund. Ends