LEA's success stories

Keikantse Lesemela | Monday March 3, 2014 14:31

They pointed out that the market in Lobatse is favourable and their businesses are growing, as they are now capable of supplying big industries.

The clients explained that even though they have been aspiring entrepreneurs for a while now, their businesses were not growing as they lacked the necessary skills and support. “I started my business in 2007 and after I met with LEA who mentored me, my business has been growing year after year”, said Buka Ntopo, the Shakina Investment managing Director. Shakina Investment is a wooden pallet manufacturing company based in Woodhall Lobatse.

Ntopo said LEA has assisted him to penetrate the market and link up with other SMEs as a way to create a sustainable market base. He manufactures and supplies wooden pallets to other entrepreneurs in Lobatse. “We supply most enterprises in Lobatse such as Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), Lobatse Clay Works, Panda and other brick manufacturers”.

Through CEDA funding Ntopo bought an industrial wood machine, which enables him to produce 2,000 pallets per day. “We started by producing one pallet per day but after we bought this machine we are now producing 2,000 per day which are high quality that can be exported to Europe”.  Ntopo has 17 local employees.

Currently Ntopo is implementing the ISO 9001:2008 certification under LEA assistance. “We have gone this far but we want to see ourselves as the best employers in Lobatse. Our dream is to expand our portfolio and do timber products, but we have already started the process”. Ntopo says he orders raw materials from South Africa. He also produces wooden boxes, wood shavings and other specialised wooden accessories at a smaller scale.

Another client, Ompatile Ditshupo said he started his brick manufacturing business in 2001 through the Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) fund and he has been producing 400 blocks per day. He said through LEA assistance he has been able to buy a brick moulding machine with the capacity to produce 20,000 blocks per day. “Although this machine has this large capacity, we are under utilising it because it requires 30 employees to produce 20,000 bricks but with our 19 employees we can only produce 10,000 bricks per day”, said Ditshupo. Currently LEA’s portfolio of clients comprises 40% youth, both at the 13 LEA branches and the four business incubators. LEA has recognised the merit of exploring the value chain in respective industries by different entrepreneurs in order to respond to untapped opportunities. This would be part of the implementation of its enterprise development mandate. Since inception in 2007, LEA has assisted the youth with 296 business plans, with the advisory services including, amongst others, facilitation with business development.