Speaking during the official opening on Friday, CEO Thabo Thamane said the CEDA office will be operating as a satellite branch reporting to the Maun one functioning as a full branch.
The branch will offer a full suite of products and services including payments, loan applications, and other services just like other fully-fledged branches.
“We believe the new branch will enable us to reach more businesses in this region and bring the much-desired developments. The people of Okavango would also access our services closer as they would no longer have to travel to Maun for assistance,” he said.
Since its inception, CEDA has financed 306 businesses across 23 villages in the Okavango region to the value of P23.8 million. According to Thamane, CEDA recognises the importance of stakeholder engagement and management as well as the utility value of broadened institutional capital to advance its mandate and strategy.
Tothis end, Thamane said CEDA will leverage its strategic partnerships to widen and deepen the impact of its strategy and scale up its contribution to the development of the SMME sector and the resuscitation of the economy.
On his part, Minister of Entrepreneurship Karabo Gare urged residents of Shakawe and the surrounding areas to utilise the proximity of the branch to venture and grow other sectors of the economy. “The agency, therefore, has a responsibility to address the need for coherent and holistic support for the development of small, medium, and large-scale enterprises through various products and services.
CEDA offers funding for capital expenditure, stock, or working capital to new and existing business ventures. It also offers training and mentoring to new and seasoned entrepreneurs and business advisory services to entrepreneurs in various skills as identified through the needs assessment that I am told is conducted during project appraisal and constant monitoring,” he said.
