Debswana Orapa Letlhakane and Damtshaa Mines (OLDM) general manager, Mogakolodi Maoketsa, revealed this on Tuesday during the launch of a Small, Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMME) grant in Orapa. The grant, delivered under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Debswana and Stanbic Bank Botswana, aims to support start-ups and existing small businesses within Debswana’s OLDM and Jwaneng Mine’s zones of influence.
CEEP was established in 2019 to reinforce Debswana's ‘Building Forever Strategy’. Through the strategy, the mine aims to foster a positive and enduring impact that extends far beyond the lifespan of diamonds.
“Embracing this (CEEP) strategy, we set a goal to empower businesses with a value of P20 billion and create 20,000 jobs by 2024. As of April, we had reached P19.5 billion in citizen spend, achieving 97% of our target, and have created 16,989 jobs. However, there remains a shortfall of 3,001 jobs. We, however, remain optimistic that the goals of CEEP will be realised soon,” Maoketsa said.
He highlighted that CEEP has shown that Batswana-owned companies are capable of owning entities that support or service complex mining operations, a field previously dominated by foreign-backed entities.
In addition, through the CEEP initiative, Debswana has cultivated a culture of creating an environment that is conducive to SMME growth and strengthening citizen business entities through prioritising the procurement of key supplies such as raw materials.
Maoketsa added that it is highly likely that Debswana will reach the P20 billion and 20,000 jobs milestone by mid-year (end of June), given the recent injection of funds into the SMMEs programme. This year, Debswana will inject P2 million into SMMEs, with P1 million being allocated to the Boteti area and the other P1 million to entrepreneurs in the Jwaneng area.
The general manager emphasised that the purpose of the newly unveiled SMME initiative is not solely about providing funding but eliminating barriers that small entrepreneurs face when seeking to expand operations and enhancing the overall capabilities of their respective businesses.
“The aim is to provide a supportive and collaborative system and equip citizens with knowledge, skills, and tools needed to navigate through the challenges, optimise profit, and seize growth opportunities. This would ultimately help fight unemployment and contribute to the economic diversification,” he said.
