F/Town entrepreneurship programme targets youth, SMME growth
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday June 16, 2026 10:43
Hence government interventions fail to help such small enterprises participate and contribute meaningfully to the economy. In a bid to address these shortcomings, Lore Innovator is organising a series of training initiatives aimed at training entrepreneurs and mentor Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs) owners in navigating these challenges. The local entrepreneurship development hub is this time around hosting Francistown Entrepreneurship and Business Development Training Programme, which aims to train up to 200 participants through a series of intensive weekend workshops focused on business growth, innovation and investment readiness. Lore Innovator director, Thapelo Ngoni, explained that empowering entrepreneurs with practical skills and access to business support services remains central to government's efforts to build a resilient and diversified economy.
'Programmes of this nature provide aspiring entrepreneurs and existing businesses with the tools needed to unlock opportunities, improve competitiveness and contribute meaningfully to national economic growth,' Ngoni said when speaking on the importance of entrepreneurship development. The programme, which will take place in Francistown next month, will equip young people and small business owners with practical skills to start, grow and sustain businesses. It comes as Botswana continues to prioritise entrepreneurship and private sector development as critical pillars for economic diversification, job creation and sustainable growth.
Entrepreneurship remains a key driver of economic transformation, with young people and small businesses playing an increasingly important role in creating employment opportunities and stimulating local economies. As Botswana's second-largest city and a strategic commercial hub, Francistown has been identified as an ideal location for strengthening entrepreneurial capacity and supporting the development of sustainable SMMEs. Lore Innovator, which has trained more than 350 entrepreneurs and mentored over 100 SMMEs across the country, will deliver the programme using the internationally recognised BizInnovator curriculum. Developed by the Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship at the University of Iowa in the United States, the curriculum is designed to equip participants with entrepreneurial thinking, financial literacy, business planning and innovation skills.
Participants will receive training in entrepreneurial mindset development, opportunity identification, business model design, financial management, marketing and branding, regulatory compliance, access to finance, government procurement opportunities, digital business development and business scaling strategies. Beyond classroom-based learning, the programme will incorporate mentorship, business coaching, networking opportunities and engagement with industry experts, financiers and business support institutions.
Organisers say this approach will ensure participants gain practical knowledge that can be immediately applied to their businesses. Expected outcomes include improved business management capabilities, greater readiness to access funding and investment opportunities, increased participation of women and youth in entrepreneurship, and stronger linkages between entrepreneurs and support institutions. The initiative is also expected to contribute to increased economic activity, business expansion and employment creation in Francistown and surrounding communities. With entrepreneurship increasingly viewed as a catalyst for economic transformation, the programme is expected to provide a valuable platform for aspiring business owners and existing enterprises seeking to enhance their competitiveness and unlock new growth opportunities.