BB, World Bank Host Tech Business Interaction

Cavin Kanoko | Monday December 9, 2019 16:32

The space is an incubator for small and Medium enterprises (SMEs) and youth-owned businesses where they will be given a platform to get mentorship, coaching and financial assistance.

“As the president of Business Botswana my role here is to solidify our support for all initiatives that seek to empower and grow small-medium businesses into regional and international behemoths particularly at this point when the African market opens after the signing of the Africa Continental free trade area,” said the BB president, Gobusamang Keebine. He expressed his belief in what the initiative has set out to do in coming up with interventions that can help local small and medium enterprises grow.

Keebine stressed the fact that the initiative entails creating an ecosystem that is sustainable on youth employment while also pointing out that the World Bank has ascertained that digital transformation in Africa is urgent.

He says the media is the focal point of the initiative as they are the ones who can drive the initiative so as to ensure it is successful.

Youth engagement in the business space has been identified as one of the crucial markers that can drive economic diversification and also help create employment for the youth, with the recent rave about the fourth industrial revolution; youth involvement is the main subject matter in tech startup and entrepreneurship.

The discussion centres around the hands-on approach by youth in coming up with innovative solutions to everyday problems influence on legislation and also creating innovative communities that will reflect the vision of the new government’s knowledge-based economy.

Young entrepreneur and founder of Brastorne Enterprises, Martin Stimela pointed out that for the initiative to work there is a need for the restructuring of institutions that are tasked with developing tech start-ups and SMEs. He also called for the engagement of youth in matters of the formulation of legislation on issues affecting the young people as they are best equipped to address their issues and come up with relevant and innovative solutions.

The pioneers of the session, Asante Engineering director Justice William and Mooketsi Tekere the founder and owner of Ngwana Enterprises made a presentation that outlined the vision and goals of the initiative and also how they are planning on implementing the initiative.

“The digital start-ups tech ecosystem collaboration with Business Botswana and World Bank was originally created by Ngwana Enterprises under the Global Entrepreneurship Network,” said Tekere.

He said the results of the collaboration are the launch of Digital Startups project initiative.

He also pointed out the initiative is the concept behind the Botswana Business Angel Network, which President Mokgweetsi Masisi mentioned in his State of the Nation Address.

He said the initiative is testament to the success of the National Entrepreneurship Policy, which was launched by the former minister of Investment, Trade and Industry, Bogolo Kenewendo.