KBL Looks To 'Kickstart' Youth Businesses
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday January 14, 2019 12:38
The brewer recently announced the return of their Kickstart programme this year after it was stopped three years ago.
Through the programme, 15 upcoming and existing entrepreneurs aged between 18 and 35 years would get an opportunity to get a grant of up to P200, 000 each, including business coaching and monitoring.Speaking during the announcement recently, KBL managing director, Renaud Beauchamp said the company has made meaningful impact on the national economy through this programme as some of the funded businesses are still operating and have expanded, thus creating employment.
“Kickstart is an SME and start-up investment and development platform that nurtures entrepreneurial spirit in Botswana and contributes substantively towards investing in economic diversification streams,” he said.
The programme, which was rolled out through their social investment arm, Kgalagadi Beverages Trust (KBT) was launched in 2001 and later stopped in 2015 due to financial constraints.
Since inception about, 75 youth-owned businesses have received seed capital while some got business skills training, mentoring and monitoring. According to KBL corporate affairs manager, Masego Madisanyana, it was unfortunate that they had to stop the programme due to financial constraints. He told the Business Monitor that they are still revising the programme, highlighting that they would announce this year’s call for applications once they are done. “We are committed to improving the lives in the communities we are part of and playing a positive role within them as well as enrich our country’s national economy,” he said.
Initially KBL used to advertise the call for application throughout the country giving aspiring and existing entrepreneurs an opportunity to realise their dreams.
The judges would then choose the top 100 who would go through four weeks training on making a comprehensive business plan.“The top 100 would be given a month to apply what they learnt by creating a comprehensive business plan based on the idea that they pitched,” he said.
They would follow another screening by a different set of judges who would evaluate the sustainability and viability of the project until they end up with the finalists.
“The procedure might change, we are still working on ensuring the sustainability of the programme as our intention is to nurture these entrepreneurs to grow beyond the infancy stage and create employment in the process,” he said.