WIBA-Choppies Pilot Biltong, Diphaphata Production
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday February 8, 2021 21:14
Last year Choppies struck a partnership deal WIBA where members of the non-governmental organisation will make diphaphatha, a traditional flattened bread like muffin, and biltong.
The pilot phase, which will end in July 2021, has kick started in Francistown, Gaborone and Maun before being extended to other areas. Members of WIBA in the three regions were trained on January 23, on the process of the project as part of being prepared for implementation.
WIBA president, Nametso Ntsosa-Carr said an interview the partnership will empower small scale businesses that are owned, managed and run by women.
“As part of the partnership, Choppies will donate over 90 biltong making machines which will be used to make biltong and supply it to Choppies Chain Stores,” she told BusinessMonitor. “This is a breakthrough for women in business especially at a time when small businesses are struggling due to COVID -19 and its aftermath.”
Preparation for the roll-out of the project has taken over three months to perfect and ensure that best quality is provided to all Choppies customers.
WIBA has extensively consulted its thousands of members nationwide and to date have received over three thousands application from women are interested, BusinessMonitor has learnt.
“The project will not only be a life changing opportunity but will also sustain the businesses of women and sell Botswana beef and traditional diphaphatha,” Ntsosa-Carr added.
In addition she vowed to ensure that the project is implemented seamlessly and urged Batswana to support the initiative by buying the products as they will be empowering families of women involved in the production of biltong and diphaphatha.
Late last year WIBA embarked on a countrywide tour aimed at empowering its members on ways to navigate the impact of COVID-19 on their businesses. They trained their members in Maun and Ghanzi on entrepreneurship, Information and communications technology and COVID-19 impact.
Ntsosa-Carr said just like most businessespeople, WIBA members have been hard-hit by the pandemic as most of them face severe losses in revenues while some are headed for collapse. She added that most Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises are heavily traumatised by the impact of COVID-19 in their liquidity position and business survival.
WIBA is also working on assisting its members in the retail industry to penetrate the regional market as they are currently in negotiations with a franchise which has 78 stores across the country to have local products in their shops.
WIBA previously held workshops for its members with Botswana Bureau of Standards, Botswana Unified Revenue Service, Local Enterprise Authority and Companies and Intellectual Property Authority.