UNDP SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ( SDP) CONSULTANTS

Small and Medium sized Enterprises ( SMEs) are important drivers of economic growth and development in Botswana. Entrepreneurship through a vibrant Small and medium enterprise sector can foster inclusive growth by ensuring the participation of socially disadvantaged groups including women and youth, in economic opportunities. However, due to their size, SMEs are characterised by extreme vulnerability due to the limitations in their growth and scale potential. Without growth, they cannot build sustainable businesses nor resilience to market shocks and crises such as COVID- 19. The pandemic only further illustrated just how vulnerable SMEs are with a number of them closing shop due to unstable markets.

The UNDP Business Supplier Development Programme ( SDP) established in 2019, was created as an answer to the challenges above. The SDP forms a unique partnership of three key players – large companies “the Buyers”, small to medium businesses “the Suppliers” and UNDP specially trained Batswana “Business Consultants”. The goal of this partnership is to assure large companies’ willingness to buy locally and to support small companies expand their business opportunities. This will in turn create new jobs, drive economic diversification and growth, ultimately creating the inclusive and prosperous Botswana we all want to see.

Working within 8 key sectors of mining, agro- processing, textiles, leather, infrastructure, manufacturing, health and digital ( ICT), the UNDP assigns the business consultants to work closely with the SMEs, mentoring them to ensure improved business strategies, quality products and services, access to new markets, product diversification and access to funding. The sustained mentoring by the consultants to the Suppliers, and their consistent engagement with the Buyers has shown great results to date.

UNDP Botswana is excited to introduce the team championing the UNDP- SDP. In its second year of implementation, the SDP has grown its project staff to an energetic team of 8, bringing in expertise in the areas of enterprise development, social innovation and youth empowerment. The SDP is also proud to announce 26 new certified consultants, growing the cohort of SDP consultants to a contingent of 41. Each consultant has undergone a 3- month intensive training and certification programme by UNDP. These consultants are Batswana with their own consulting firms and with over 10- 20 years’ experience in business development, project management, procurement and contracting, accounting and finance among others, which will prove invaluable to the SMEs on the programme. With all of them ready to be assigned their respective supply value chains, the SDP is set to reach a greater number of SME’s towards a thriving and resilient SME sector in Botswana.