CEDA Host Its Sixth Open Day for Lobatse

CEDA Hosts Its Sixth Open Day for Lobatse

The Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) recently held the sixth Open Day in Lobatse, after it was launched in Hukuntsi last year.

Other Open Days have been held in Shakawe, Chadibe, Nata and Tloaneng and CEDA uses them as a platform to sensitize citizens on its products and services.

During these open days, the organisation focuses on areas where CEDA has no offices or foot print.

CEDA believes that Lobatse as one of the first towns in Botswana, has a lot of potential for business opportunities.

According to CEDA Chief Executive Officer, Thabo Thamane, CEDA was established to provide support to business development through various funding mechanisms, thereby promoting citizen economic empowerment and entrepreneurship.

Speaking at the event, he said, “We also provide services geared towards mentoring and training our clients by enhancing the success of investment made in citizen business ventures. The SME sector is viewed as a major growth area for innovation and establishing Botswana as a country that is able to compete regionally, while satisfying local demand for goods and services,” said Thamane.

The CEO said it was in recognition of the SME potential that they hosted the event, to ensure that the services of CEDA are extended to all Batswana.

He stated that the day signifies their desire to extend their foot print and increase their visibility to the average Motswana.

Thamane said while Lobatse is serviced by their office in Kanye, businesses in the town have been financed to the tune of P36,6 million.

He said manufacturing businesses were financed to the tune of P18 million, followed by Agriculture projects at P9,2 million and Services at P9,4 million.

Thamane revealed that this funding led to direct employment of over 400 people.

“These figures show that there is an opportunity for growth in this town,” he said.

The Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry Sadique Kebonang, who is also the Member of Parliament for the area, thanked CEDA for hosting the Open Day and for inviting other stakeholders to Lobatse.

He explained that businesses include other facets which CEDA does not fund.

He said the stakeholder engagement and partnership is important for the country to succeed in growing the economy.

Kebonang said government has set growing the economy as one of the key thematic areas for the 2015/16 financial year.

Concerned that 5,893 people are poor while 3,945 are unemployed in his town, Kebonang said, “Government has organisations like CEDA to assist in addressing some of these challenges. It is well known that Lobatse is famous for being the headquarters of Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), but there is no economic diversity in the town. The feasibility study for the Leather Park in Lobatse has been completed and the Park will utilise the leather from BMC abattoirs.”

When fully operational, the minister said the park is expected to create significant employment opportunities.

The Leather Park will undertake activities such as leather tanning as well as the manufacturing of goods from leather.

Source: Business Weekly and Review

Date: 1 May 2015

Author:  Leonard Matota