11 Feb 2014

The Citizen Entrepreneurship Development Agency (CEDA) will this year establish an office in Hukuntsi to increase its visibility.

Officiating at CEDA open day in Hukuntsi, CEDA chief executive officer, Mr Thabo Thamane said the move was prompted by the fact that Kgalagadi District had been shown as one of the districts with high poverty rates.

The establishment of the office, he said, would contribute towards the empowerment of citizens. Incidences of poverty in Kgalagadi north stood at 31.2 per cent in 2009/10 as compared to 38.3 per cent in 2002/03, he said.

Unemployment rate in both Kgalagadi North and South was estimated at 14.8 per cent 17.5 per cent respectively, compared to the national average of 17.8 per cent, he said.

He said only 36 per cent of the total population in Kgalagadi North and 29 per cent in Kgalagadi South were economically active, adding that the new office would help motivate the locals to become active.

Mr Thamane said CEDA provided an opportunity for locals to venture in to business and create employment for Batswana; particularly that the change of time has made it difficult for one to find a job.

He said CEDA had financed 39 projects valued at P23 million in Kgalagadi North and 27 of them were agribusiness projects, nine were service projects while three were property and manufacturing projects.

“Further analysis shows that the majority of the projects are livestock valued at P14 million and small stock at P1.8 million,” he said. The figures, he said, showed that there was an increase of businesses in Kgalagadi north and diversity of businesses. 

However, he said, there was need to tap into the tourism potential through utilisation of natural resources, including the Trans Kalahari Highway which could bring benefits to the districts.

Mr Thamane urged the locals to utilise business opportunities in the area while CEDA would provide services geared towards mentoring and training of clients to enhance the success of investments ventures.  ENDS