Academic calls for entrepreneurship development
Isaac Pinielo | Tuesday May 31, 2016 14:39
Giving a presentation at the Botswana Investment Conference held in Gaborone on Saturday, Radikoko said there is a need to create awareness on the availability of opportunities for starting businesses among the adult population in Botswana. He pointed out that government institutions responsible for promoting entrepreneurship, such as the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) and the Local Enterprise Authority (LEA), need to intensify their promotional efforts. He said this would ensure that the adult population is aware of available sources of funding, training programmes and other government policies that are aimed at stimulating entrepreneurial activities in the country. “There should be reduction in obstacles during the business start-up process and ensuring that expertise can be easily accessed when it is required,” he said.
According to Radikoko, entrepreneurs may be discouraged if they have to follow many rules and procedures, and if they have to report to many administrators, as well as having to spend more time fulfilling the requirements. He urged that the issue of funding sustainable youth and female entrepreneurial initiatives should be top on the government agenda, adding that the Ministry of Youth, Sport and Culture needs to ensure that its support for youth programmes is balanced on the basis of gender.
“As female entrepreneurs are affected by personal and social factors in establishing sustainable businesses, there is need for education targeting females,” he emphasised. Radikoko also noted that to further increase commitment amongst females, other successful female entrepreneurs and business owners can be used as role models. In addition, he said, entrepreneurs need to create relationships with research institutions and universities to tap on their resources to undertake research and adopt findings into their business operations.
He said a review of the current national educational programmes and entrepreneurship training is required to give entrepreneurs skills to start businesses.
“In particular, there is a need to re-examine the training framework offered by LEA in order to ensure that the benefits of training are translated into results for entrepreneurs,” he said. He stated that it is vital that the national formal education system recognises the importance of inculcating the spirit of entrepreneurship at an early age, particularly at primary school level, where children are receptive of what they learn. Radikoko implored tertiary institutions working closely with the government to intensify their efforts to cultivate the spirit of entrepreneurship among young adults. “Entrepreneur training programmes should include business collaborations. Further to that, government assistance schemes and tendering processes should be deliberately structured in such a way that they encourage collaboration,” he said.
He pointed out that the current government programmes should be revised to make them supportive to the entrepreneur. Meanwhile, the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) has asserted that while Botswana’s investment climate is generally perceived to be attractive, it fails to stimulate entrepreneurship in the country.
It also shows that the lowest contributors to entrepreneurial activity are research and development transfer, education and training, government entrepreneurship programmes and government policies.