P2.3 million grants for young entrepreneurs
Isaac Pinielo | Monday March 9, 2015 17:36
Kickstart is a youth entrepreneurial programme aimed at supporting youth that want to either start-up or expand their existing businesses. It is executed in such a way that it covers related elements of budget setting, panel reviews, training and mentoring.
Now in its 11th year, Kickstart continues to provide financial and mentoring support to winning business ideas in the form of grants, business training and mentorship. The grants range from P10, 000 to P250, 000, and mentorship takes place for a period of 12 months.
Over the last decade, Kickstart has availed over P10 million in grants, making it one of the largest private sector entrepreneurship development projects in Botswana.
To date, Kickstart has trained over 150 young entrepreneurs, enabling more than 50 small businesses to be set up across various sectors of the economy.
32-year-old Tsholofelo Poppie Tsie is the owner of Easy To Learn Day Care Centre she established in 2011 after getting a P99, 000 Youth Development Fund from government. However last week she was among the 13 young entrepreneurs who were awarded funds through the Kick Start programme.
The fledging Mahalapye-based kindergarten which now has a total of 65 toddlers. It was awarded P203, 500, through the KBT’s Kickstart program. The funds will be used for expansion of the Daycare centre.
“My main concern is to teach children computers at an earlier stage, so this money will help me implement computers in the school,” she said.
Other entrepreneurs, Tebby Hetolang and Ofentse Chifedi both aged 29 were also awarded P249, 213 for their partnership business, Scotchfield bakery, based in Tlokweng. The business was o formed in 2011 through personal funding.
According to Hetolang, when she completed high school she pursued an accounting course with the aim of starting up a business. “Looking for employment was never an option to me. I have always wanted to be a business person so that I can employ other people,” she said.
Other beneficiaries are: Lebogang Supang of Spills Tyre Services and Tiyapo Motsamai of Masters Dental Clinic who each got P250,000, Keitumetse John of JKA (Pty) Limited who received P249,957, Sipho Mogolodi of Handy Products who got P226,494, Tiroyaone Magowe of Pick Up Hire Services who got P208,017, Tshepo Ben of Dublin Leather Works who received P204,813, Boitumelo Rankata of Ultimate Play Systems Botswana who got P160,440, Nketso Diteko Bogosi-Ngoni of Raserura Group who received P167,400, and Oarabile Setlhomo of Ankhfoods who was awarded P185,308.
KBL corporate affairs director, Tickey Pule said the themes of sustainable development, enterprise development, prosperity, and inclusive growth are all integral parts of businesses’ long-term sustainability as they help to create jobs and wealth within the communities in Botswana.
“At the heart of our strategy for building prosperity, lies our commitment and focus to support the role small businesses play in generating economic growth and reducing poverty in our beloved country,” she said.
Pule further noted that creating innovative possibilities such as Kickstart that help the youth take ownership of their future and spurning them to action is such a compelling and vibrant outcome.