Inaugural Tsholofelo Carnival A Huge Success
The maiden Tsholofelo Carnival which was held in Selebi Phikwe recently was a huge success.
The carnival, a brainchild of Premium Nickel Resources Botswana (PNRB) received overwhelming support from members of the public and various stakeholders from the SPEDU region. The carnival started on the 27th of September and ended on the 1st of October 2022. The event will be held annually.
One of the main activities at the five daylong rip-roaring event was an Entrepreneurship Development Program featuring youth business owners from the SPEDU region. The Fifty young business owners were identified through the assistance of LEA. The aim of the programme is to build capacity among small, medium, and micro-sized businesses.
The Entrepreneurship Development Program featured a panel discussions where various stakeholders shared their perspectives, ideas, and suggestions for value creation, economic resuscitation, and ecosystem development within the SPEDU region.
SPEDU Chief Executive Officer Jazenga Uezesa, FNB Selebi Phikwe Branch Manager Kgotso Morei, Head, Channel Network LEA Fana Kelebogile, Entrepreneurship Development Consultant from Business Botswana Palalani Moitlhobogi and Senior Analyst within the African Union Rhuks Ako were among the speakers on the panel.
The panel discussions were created to aid small enterprises in understanding public sector procurement methods, SMME-enabling regulations, market access, funding, and supplier development.
When officially opening the Entrepreneurship Development Programme PNRB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Montwedi Mphathi said that it will grow the mindsets and build a changed attitude towards business growth and development in the Selebi Phikwe area.
“There are so many manufacturers in the Selebi Phikwe region but because of lack of knowledge, lack of teachings such as this program most are unknown, most just sell but are not a national product.
That is why we seek to bring forth a program that will grow mindsets and build a changed attitude towards business growth and development.”
Mphathi also stated that it is evident from the closure of BCL six-years ago that there is need to think beyond just mining to bring forth businesses and ideas that will mark the Phikwe region as a hub of integrated and advanced business and manufacturing. He emphasised that this can only be achieved through a multi stakeholder approach.
When giving the rationale behind the carnival project PNRB Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) manager Shamil Agosi, said that it focuses on four thematic areas which the mine believes if prioritised could help revive the economy of Phikwe. The four areas are entrepreneurship, arts, sports development, and culture.
“The carnival’s major objective is to illustrate value creation, economic resuscitation and what it implies in terms of the role played by young people in ensuring that Selebi Phikwe’s economy recovers to where it was before the BCL mine’s closure, which severely damaged the town’s economy.”
Other carnival activities included an Art Exhibition and Show, Tsholofelo Idea Pitch, a networking dinner, an Independence Day lunch, a carnival music festival, and a football tournament.
The Assistant Minister of Trade and Industry Beauty Manake, Phikwe Mayor Lucas Modimana, Kgoberego Nkawana, and District Commissioner Letshwao Mogorosi were among those who attended the Tsholofelo Independence Day celebration. 01. 02. 03.
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